ST ANN, Jamaica — A St Ann man was shot and killed at a bar in his community of Exchange on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Troy Cooper otherwise called “Slaughter.”

According to the police, around 8:20 pm, Cooper was at a bar with a group of people when they were approached by a man. Police say the man had a brief conversation with Cooper before opening gunfire at him.

Cooper was said to have been shot in the head.

The police were called to the scene and he was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Euroy Blackwood, a resident of Exchange, is counting his blessings, noting that he regularly frequents the bar but was not at the location when the incident occurred.

“Sometimes when me leave work me woulda stop by and hold two drinks before me go home, cause you know just have a hard day of work so you want to let off a little steam before you go home go sleep and wake up for the next morning, but is like the spirit talk to me and say, just go straight home, and a so me never deh there when the shooting go on,” he said. “It sad but me glad me follow me mind because stray shot could catch anybody.”

Blackwood offered his condolences to the family of the deceased noting that he might not be frequenting the location for some time. In the meantime, Henry Jefferson, another resident and senior citizen of the area, is calling on the younger generation to end the violence.

“A 71 years me deh on the earth and me a tell you them young youth here a the most heartless me ever see, as you squint them gone for gun or knife or something, me just a ask them to just go easy, remember you mother, you family, think about how you going to make them cry if you die or if you go to jail. Think about your children, because some of them have children, think about them man and try to sort things out without killing someone,” he said.

Police say at least 34 people have been killed in St Ann since the start of the year.