Police say a man was fatally shot in a church parking lot in Bay Shore early Saturday.

Officers responded to a 911 call about several shots fired just before 1 a.m. They found a man face down in the parking lot of House of Prayer Church of God on Holbrook Street off Fifth Avenue.

The man was later identified as Linver Ortiz-Ponce, 29, a Ronkonkoma resident.

The shooting has shocked members of the surrounding community.

“For something like that to happen is really sad. I feel bad for the family,” said Melanie Hage, of Bay Shore.

Laverne Thomas's backyard is adjacent to the church parking lot. She said she hasn’t seen anything like this in the 54 years she’s lived there.

“At first I thought it was fireworks, so I didn't really think it was gunshots,” she explained. “I've seen nothing but good things at that church. And for something to happen in a church parking lot, it's very disturbing. Like there's no morals anymore, no boundaries.”

As detectives combed the neighborhood for evidence, Thomas couldn't help but think about how gun violence has hit so close to home.

“It's anybody going around today, just taking a person's life with no reason. It's just ridiculous,” she said.

Police have not released much information about the incident. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.