WILMINGTON — Neighborhood residents are stunned after a local man was shot and killed in his car early Tuesday morning.

According to the Wilmington Police Department, at 2:34 a.m. officers responded to the area of 299 Grant St. on a report of a man inside a vehicle who had been shot. On arrival, officers located the victim in the driver’s seat with multiple gunshot wounds.

Wilmington EMS was dispatched to the scene and upon their arrival, the man was confirmed dead.

The victim is Michael D. Melvin, 38, of Wilmington.

On Tuesday morning, family and friends had gathered in the neighborhood, and a memorial with balloons, M&Ms and other items were placed on the ground near the scene of the fatal shooting.

The grandmother of his two children said Melvin was a loving person, and then she became emotional, saying through tears, “Oh Lord, have mercy.”

Deonne Ford, an in-law, described him as a good person.

“He was very good to my kids. And my kids really cared about him and loved him. He was a good guy,” said Ford.

Virgil “Doc” Norman Jr., who lives just down the street from where the shooting took place, said there are a lot of people in shock.

“All I can say about that young man is good,” said Norman, who said Melvin was like a son or nephew to him.

“He was always, ‘Hey, Unc.’ He would help anyone … water bill, Pampers. I loved him and I was very close to him and I am hurt by his death,” Norman added.

Norman said he fell asleep Monday night in his living room watching TV. When he woke up he could see police were on the street and around Melvin’s vehicle. He did not hear gunshots, he said.

The memorial included several packages of M&Ms candy, not only because they were his favorites, said an onlooker, but M&M was Michael Melvin’s nickname.

A couple of flower bouquets were dropped off next to the balloons. And an unwrapped T-shirt was placed at the memorial in Melvin’s size, said one of the ladies at the scene.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) was contacted to assist the WPD with the investigation. No suspects have been identified at this time.

The News Journal was told that Wilmington police are confident this is an isolated incident and the general public should not be concerned about their safety in regards to the incident.

Police also said they are working several leads already.

The WPD asked citizens in the neighborhood with home surveillance systems to check their recordings from early Tuesday morning around the time frame the incident occurred.

“Any video may hold beneficial information such as persons walking in the area or vehicles in the area,” said WPD Acting Chief Ron Fithen. “Any information provided is an integral part of this investigation.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call the WPD at 937-382-3833, or those who wish to remain anonymous can contact the TIPS line as well at 937382-TIPS (937-382-8477).

A prayer vigil was scheduled to be held Tuesday night near where the incident occurred.