A man is dead after a shooting in Howard County Thursday evening, police said Friday.

Officers responded to the 9500 block of Half Dollar Court in Columbia around 10:58 p.m. after a family member of the man requested medical assistance, police said.

When they arrived, they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds inside the residence.

The man was identified as Perry Comeau, 67.

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Detectives do not believe the shooting was random.

Residents who lived near Comeau expressed shock and said they were heartbroken after learning the shooting.

“It’s just unnerving to know something like this can happen literally so close to home,” Nishla St. Amant said.

Neighbors described Comeau as a gentle giant and a lovely man who will be missed.

“They’ve lived here for a number of years, even before we got here,” St. Amant said. “A staple in the neighborhood and he will certainly, certainly be missed.”

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