The sound of gunshots startled residents at the corner of Neal’s Pen Road and Central American Boulevard out of their beds and homes at approximately 10:45 on Monday night.  Seven shots were fired and seven shots hit 31-year-old Ralton Usher, including two to the head and two in the back. 

Usher was on a bicycle riding from his home on Armadillo Street to the home of a female friend on Doris Brooks Street but his life and the trip were cut short.  There are two versions to what transpired on Monday night.  The official story from

But neither version is plausible to Ralton Usher’s family.  In their words, Ralton wasn’t a trouble man.  His niece Sherilyn Hoare says that, “ih nuh thief nobody, ih nuh rob nobody, and nothing like that.”  

Sherilyn says she saw her uncle just a couple hours before the shooting. He had bought new speakers for his Toyota Camry and had just installed them.  He got a text message from a female friend and was on his way to meeting that female friend when he was killed.  That female friend says she spoke to Ralton while he was on his way to her house and he was fine until when she heard the gunshots from her home.  He tried to call his phone, but there was no response.  She sent him a text message and likewise she says she received no response. 

Ralton’s other niece Sherie Hoare says her uncle, “likes a lot of ladies”, and, “doesn’t have beef with anyone.”  Ralton worked at Brad’s at the corner West Collet Canal and Cemetery Road.  He was a trusted employee as much as he was a cherished uncle, prompting his niece Sherilyn Hoare to reflect that, “they took away somebody special from our lives.”  Ralton Usher would have celebrated his 32nd birthday in April which is when the family had planned a reunion.  He didn’t live to see his 32nd birthday and that joyous reunion will instead be at a somber funeral.