Tulsa Man Known As 'Coach Bell' Murdered In His Driveway

Editor's note: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly reported that Mr. Bell worked for the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Mr. Bell was a Tulsa County Detention employee.

A Tulsa man was found dead in his driveway in the 4500 block of East Young Court.

Investigators said Wayne Bell, 48, was shot while he was taking trash out to the curb.

Family members say everyone called him "Coach Bell" because he coached kids in many sports including basketball, football and soccer.

The first 911 call came in around 5:30 a.m. Police believe Bell was targeted, that his killing was not random.

Bell filed a report two days before his death after someone fired three shots into his garage, police said.

Records show Bell also filed a report on February 4, 2013 when someone shot at his house. That time, he was sitting in his living room when bullets came whizzing through a window and into the walls.

"Someone in the family or the victim had someone mad at them, and this is the cowardly way they dealt with it," TPD Sgt. Dave Walker said.

Police will be comparing the shell casings from two days ago to the ones from the murder scene.

Bell moved to Oklahoma about 15 years ago from New York.

He has a big family that includes around 20 grandchildren.

Bell's family said he was a jokester and his best quality was his ability to make everyone around him laugh.

"If I was to come in here with a frown on my face, he'd say something off-the-wall like, ‘You better suck it up and laugh,'" his son Unique Moore said. "Lot of tough love."

His family said Bell's motto was "I will never let you fall," and he always encouraged and believed in them.

"He said, ‘Son, I love you, I love you to death, you're my only son,'" Unique Moore said. "I just want see you grow up and be successful."

Now, he won't get to see his son turn 21.

Bell was the glue that held the family together, they said.

Now they're left wishing they could hear his laugh one more time.