Singer, Rihanna, called for gun violence to end as she shared that her cousin, Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne, was killed at the young age of 21.  The Barbados native mourned his death, by sharing several photos of him on her Instagram page and it appears that the two were very close.

Feeling Heartbroken:

A day after Christmas,  Rihanna took to her Instagram page to share with her 59 million Instagram followers that Tavon Alleyne had been murdered. He was only 21 years old. Reminding us that life is short and unpredictable, the heartbroken singer shared that she had just hugged her cousin before his tragic demise. She had just spent Christmas with Alleyne and a number of Rihanna’s fans were quick to offer kind words amid this difficult time. As Rihanna called for an end to gun violence, she shared that she loved her cousin. The eight time Grammy winner shared multiple photos of her cousin, illustrating how close they were. In addition, Rhianna later added a memorial panel to her Instagram Stories, with a black background, adding his handle – @merka_95.

According to Nation News, Alleyne’s killer, who has not been identified, shot him several times before fleeing the scene. It appears that Alleyne was walking in St Michaels, Barbados around 7 p.m., when someone approached him. In an attempt to save his life, Alleyne was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.

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It’s unclear what Alleyne did for a living, but it appears that he was trying to better himself. Another woman, by the name of Tanella, also mourned the passing of Alleyne. With a photo of him in the hospital, Tanella shared that she had just spent Christmas with Alleyne and that he was trying to be a better person. Tanella referred to the victim as her “brother,” which could possibly make her Rihanna’s cousin as well. On her Instagram page, Tanella has photos of Rihanna and referenced that they were cousins.

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Just as Rihanna loved her cousin, he loved her as well. Back in February, on her birthday, Alleyne  posted a photo of him and Rihanna and called her his big cousin. He shared that he was proud of her, that she was his favorite cousin, and that he wished her much success. Alleyne was definitely a family ma, as many of his pictures on his Instagram page are pictures of his family members. He also posted pictures of 2 adorable children, referring to them his ‘king and queen.’ So it appears that he was a father of 2.

Just before Tavon’s sudden death, Rihanna posted a picture of herself in a beautiful red gown, by designer Christopher Kane. She shared that she was sick with a cold, however, receiving the dress from her friend, Kane, made her feel better. Now, on top of dealing with a sickness, Rihanna must deal with the pain of saying goodbye to a loved one. Our prayers are with Rhianna and Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne’s family.