A 35-year old Jersey City man was shot to death Saturday night after a dispute resulting from a motor vehicle accident earlier that evening.

Relatives identified the dead man as Michael Settles, 35, of Garfield Avenue.

"It was completely senseless," his aunt, Sabrina Hayes, said. Hayes had been standing feet away from the victim when an unidentified man opened fire in front of his grandmother's Bergen Avenue home.

According to Hayes, some time between 10:30 and 11 p.m., Michael Settles got into a minor fender-bender at Orient and Bergen avenues, near his grandmother's home.

Michael, who was driving a silver sedan, had an argument with the other motorist, who was in a minivan. Michael's cousin separated the two men and they parted ways. According to Hayes, the driver of the minivan bumped into Settles' vehicle and neither vehicle sustained any visible damage.

About 15 minutes later, Hayes says she was discussing the incident with Settles in front of the grandmother's home when she noticed two men walking up Orient Avenue toward the house.

"Michael was facing me and I was facing the street and I saw them coming toward us, but I ignored them," recalls Hayes. "One walked up to the sidewalk curb in front of the house and said something to Michael, and he turned around and said 'What?' and the guy just pulled the gun out."

From about 5 feet away, the gunman fired three shots, all of which hit Settles in the head, Hayes said, adding the two suspects then fled on foot.

"Michael just fell to the ground and was bleeding from his face," said Hayes."He held on for about 10 to 15 minutes before dying ... Why did this man need to come back and shoot my nephew?"

There have been four murders in Jersey City so far this year. The last one occurred on March 16 when a husband stabbed his wife to death in their home.

Hayes described the shooter as a tall man with dreadlocks who was accompanied by a shorter man.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the incident, has not commented except to confirm the fatal shooting of a man at Orient and Bergen avenues.

"Nobody can wrap their head around this because it was such a minor incident. I don't understand how it escalated to something like this," said older brother Jermaine Settles, 40, who had been at work in New Brunswick when he received a call just before midnight informing him of his brother's death.

"My brother was one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He would give you the shirt off his back. In 35 years of knowing him I have never seen him want to fight anybody."

Jermaine Settles said Michael is recently divorced, has a 4-year old son named Elijah, and worked at the Gel Spices company in Bayonne for the past nine years. Michael was one of three brothers, was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Jersey City and attended New Jersey City University.

Jermaine Settles said his brother was a passionate boxing fan and had planned to host a party for the upcoming Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. Hayes added that Settles was an excellent cook and attended Sunday Mass as often as he could.

"Every day after work he comes by and he sees our grandmother," he said. "He was an incredible guy and I was proud to be his big brother. He showed me how to love people. There was no hate in his heart.

"They took a great guy for no apparent reason. No reason at all."