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WINDSOR – A local man was shot to death inside his home near here Tuesday night and a search for the killer is underway.

Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin identified the victim as 68-year-old Ricky Gilliam, who resided at 2125 Governors Road, which is just southeast of the Mt. Olive Road intersection.

Ruffin said deputies were dispatched to the residence at around 9:40 p.m. Upon their arrival, Gilliam was found to have been shot multiple times.

He added that the deputies immediately began CPR until more advanced medical assistance arrived. A short time later, Gilliam was pronounced deceased.

Ruffin noted that his deputies interview a family member of Gilliam who was inside the residence at the time of the shooting.

“]The relative] advised that the door bell rang and as Gilliam approached the door, they heard several gunshots from the outside,” Ruffin stated in an email sent to this newspaper.

Ruffin said that investigators worked through the night collecting evidence, canvassing the neighborhood, and viewing surveillance video. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations has been contacted and is assisting the Bertie Sheriff’s Office in this investigation.

“We do not have any leads or suspects at this time,” Ruffin stated. “We are asking that if anyone was in the area of the 2100 block of Governors Road between the hours of 8-to-10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, and noticed anything suspicious such as a vehicle on side the road, person walking, or anything out of the ordinary to contact the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office 252-794-5330.”