By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are calling for at-risk young men to confide in authorities after a man they believe was targeted was gunned down outside a Johnson Road home.

Sources close to the situation have identified the victim as Ramon Coakley, however police have not yet released vital information.

Supt Elaine Sands, who has responsibility over the Eastern District, yesterday issued an appeal to young men who feel threatened to seek the help of law enforcement for possible intervention.

According to police, Ramon was sitting with two other men outside a residence at Bartlett Street, off Johnson Road, when a man in a blue hooded jacket approached from the bushes on the opposite side of the street shortly after 1pm.

Supt Paul Rolle, head of the Central Detective Unit, said: “(The culprit) accosted the deceased and his friends, produced a handgun and began discharging the weapon in the direction of the deceased.

“The deceased got up from the chair where he was sitting and attempted to run into the residence to seek shelter where he was struck multiple times about his body.”

Mr Rolle said the assailant fled the scene in a gold coloured Honda Accord, which approached shortly after the culprit opened fire.

Emergency Medical Services officials pronounced Ramon dead at the scene.

Mr Rolle added: “Nobody else was hurt. We believe that the deceased was the target, the other two gentlemen sitting along with him were not injured at all.”

Ramon’s death marks the country’s 27th homicide for the year.

At the scene, his fianc� and cousin were overcome with grief.

Although he did not live at the Bartlett Street home, Ramon was considered a family member by the household, according to Cholta Duncombe, the 73-year-old matriarch who owns the home where he was fatally shot.

According to residents at the scene, the victim was from Grand Bahama, and did not have many family members on the island.

When asked what needed to be done to combat gun violence, Ms Duncombe said: “(Police) have to try to stop it, hold on to the people they catch, and stop sending them for such a short period of time.”

“I want to appeal to all of those young men out there who are experiencing challenges who believe they may become a victim of murder and they have information that can assist police in prevention, I’m just appealing to them to come forward,” said Supt Sands. “They need to identify a police officer someone they can talk to, to give this information to so they can assist.”

Anyone with information on this homicide is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.