How do you approach someone who you think is gay and subtly show him your interest?

I live in the caribbean where being gay is horrible. Sometimes people get killed depending on where you go. There's this big stigma attached to the word gay. But there is this guy who I have had an interest in after I noticed him looking too long at me, he stopped after he saw me realise and turned away really quickly. He's terribly shy. And I like him tons. But the thing is I don't really know him. He's a friend of a friend. How do I approach him without looking stupid if I'm wrong?