8 Things To Know About Tavon Alleyne, Rihanna’s Cousin Who Was Killed On Boxing Day And Her Plea To End Gun Violence
The two had just spent Christmas together.
Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne was shot and killed the day after Christmas by an unknown shooter.
Alleyne was killed Tuesday night around 7 p.m. while walking in St. Michael near his home in Barbados, according to local news station Nation News. An unidentified man shot Alleyne multiple times and then fled the scene. He was rushed to a hospital but died due to his injuries.
The young man was a cousin of Rihanna and resided in the singer’s home country, Barbados.
Local law enforcement is still trying to find the shooter and urges anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.
Gun violence has become a huge issue in the Caribbean country. BBC reported that 22 out of every 28 murders in Barbados in due to gun violence.
Here are some things to know about Rihanna’s cousin who was killed on Boxing Day:
1. He was only 21.
Tavon had just turned 21 in July and according to Instagram, he was looking forward to a good year.
2. He lived in Barbados.
The young victim lived in Rihanna’s native country, Barbados. He was killed in St. Michael.
3. He was shot multiple times.
The unknown shooter approached Alleyne and shot him more than once. The shooter then fled and has yet to be identified.
4. He died at the hospital.
After the shooting, Alleyne was rushed to the hospital where he died later that night.
5. He had 10k followers on Insta.
Rihanna’s cousin was popular on social media, with 10,000 followers on his Instagram page.
6. He had just spent Christmas with Rihanna.
According to a post by Rihanna, Alleyne had spent Christmas with his cousin just days before his death.
7. His social media accounts show he was very close to his family.
Many posts on Alleyne’s Facebook and Instagram include his family members with loving captions.
8. Rihanna paid tribute to him in a heartbreaking post on Instagram.
Rihanna posted an emotional tribute to her deceased cousin on her Instagram. The caption read, “RIP cousin... can't believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man! #endgunviolence.”
The 29-year-old star has over 59 million followers on her account and thousands commented on her post giving their condolences to the singer and her family.