Rihanna's cousin shot dead hours after sharing Christmas with singer

Rihanna's cousin has been shot dead in Barbados just hours after they spent Christmas Day together.

The 29-year-old singer posted a series of photos of her and Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne together and called for an end to gun crime as she mourned his death.

Alleyne, 21, was walking through a track in the St Michael's area of the holiday island at around 7pm on Tuesday night when he was approached by a man and shot several times.

"RIP cousin... can't believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms!" the heartbroken Wild Thoughts singer wrote to her 59 million Instagram followers.

"Never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man!"

The eight-time Grammy award winner added the hashtag, '#endgunviolence,' at the end of the post.

According to Nation News, the gunman, who has not been identified, shot Alleyne several times before fleeing the scene.

The 21-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle but eventually succumbed to his injuries.

Rhianna later added a memorial panel to her Instagram Stories, with a black background adding his handle - @merka_95.