The father of murdered Shaki Crockwell yesterday vowed to find his killer and urged the people of Bermuda to "stop the violence".

Danny Crockwell said he felt his son's spirit when he visited the place where the 25-year-old was gunned down. Although the visit with detectives to the Railway Trail near Loyal Hill was "helpful", Mr. Crockwell says a week on he is still no nearer to coming to terms with his son's death. "It's too hard, I raised him when his mother left for America when he was eight-years-old so it's not going to be easy," said Mr. Crockwell.

"I'm a mess you know, because he's my only son."

Asked why he thought anyone would want to kill Shaki, Mr. Crockwell said: "Your guess is as good as mine. All I want to know is why? I know it's not drug related, it's got to be over a woman."

Shaki, a footballer for the Boulevard Blazers, Bermuda Hogges and the national side, was killed with a bullet to the neck on the evening of Friday, August 24.

At the time of his death he was wearing a protective vest, suggesting he knew someone was out to attack him.

This week detectives said they were "very encouraged" by the number of calls from members of the public following a witness appeal for information. However, they declined to comment yesterday on whether they had any new leads or suspects.

Mr. Crockwell, 47, of Middletown, said: "I'm happy there's been these calls, but the Police aren't saying anything to me, they haven't come to me yet. If the Police don't find him, I will find out, trust me.

"I felt it. When I got to the crime scene I could feel he (Shaki) was with me, I felt his spirit leap into my body and I saw everything. He wants me to know who's done this, he knows who's done it, and I am going to make sure we find him.

"How can this person sleep comfortably at night? They've got no heart, no conscience."

Mr. Crockwell added: "Too many families are losing their children to this violence, it's not right. They've got to stop this in Bermuda. It's not just me who's hurting, it's affecting the whole community, because the boy was a superstar. He turned his life around and was even teaching children in schools how to play football.

"I want the public to see what type of person this boy was. He weren't no gangster, he didn't go out there to look for violence, he protected his family."

Yesterday, Island Soccer League Commissioner David Bascome said Shaki was just a few weeks away from starting a new life in the US with the chance of playing for Baltimore Blast. Mr. Bascome had applied for a waiver from the US consulate to remove Mr. Crockwell from the 'stop list' and so enable him to attend team trials in September.

Mr. Bascome, assistant coach for the US soccer club, said both he and head coach Danny Kelly had noted Mr. Crockwell's talents on the pitch and were "distraught" to hear of his murder.

"He had a love of the game," said Mr. Bascome. "He played with a lot of emotion and character, and always wanted to win."

Mr. Bascome added that Mr. Crockwell's enthusiasm with the seven-year-olds at this summer's Pro-Soccer Clinic had left him with "a lasting impression" of his generosity.

"He always turned up early and at the end of each day got all the kids in a huddle," he said. "It was a warm feeling, he was such a generous, giving person.

"I was going to get him to come overseas with my professional team. We wanted to give him that opportunity outside of Bermuda. Everything was pending and if he got approved (with the waiver) he was due to come to the US in two weeks, so his death was a real shock.

"Even the head coach (Mr. Kelly) was shocked. When he found out he was distraught, and kept saying 'Not Shaki, not Shaki, not the same guy'. He was looking forward to him coming out."

Mr. Bascome said: "It's tough to lose such a talented young player like that, it takes a lot out of you. Sometimes we've only got one chance and Shaki was willing to take those steps of reaching those goals, of playing professionally and experiencing a life outside of Bermuda.

"Knowing that his goals and dreams were so close but that he never got a chance to complete them, it hurts."

Mr. Crockwell leaves two sons, Qwezi Savory, aged eight, and seven-month-old Santiago Crockwell. His funeral service takes place at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on King Street, Hamilton, on Tuesday at 2 p.m., followed by internment at the Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery, St. George's.

Anyone with any information into the death of Mr. Crockwell is urged to telephone Police on 299 4239 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 1 800 623 8477.