A man in a vehicle near a Dorchester middle school was shot and killed Monday afternoon, as Boston police ask for the public’s help in the homicide investigation.

Some kids attending an after-school program at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School were inside the school at the time of the deadly daylight shooting.

Police responded to 264 Columbia Road for a report of shots fired at around 4:57 p.m. on Monday.

The officers at the scene found a man in a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound — in the area of 243 Columbia Road. The man was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests were immediately made, as detectives investigated the shooting on the busy Dorchester street.

No one inside the school was physically injured, according to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.

“We do need the public’s help. This is a daylight shooting. It happened in the middle of the day,” Cox said, noting that a lot of people are normally out on the street during the day.

“This is horrible,” he later added. “This is why gun violence is such an epidemic in this country right now.”

Police are urging people with any information on the shooting to call the BPD Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.

People who want to remain anonymous can call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).