The young man who died after being shot inside his family's Scotlandville home Wednesday night had become a father just five months earlier and was looking ahead to the future, excited to watch his daughter grow up.
"That was his first child, his only child — and now his last," the victim's brother said Thursday morning. "He wasn't just trying to be a good dad. He was a good dad."
Tremell Tumblin, 20, was shot about 11 p.m. in the 9000 block of Lewis Street. Baton Rouge police said the shooting followed "some type of argument" with an unknown assailant who fled before authorities arrived.
A 20-year-old man was shot and killed at his Scotlandville home late Wednesday night after an argument, according to Baton Rouge police.
Tumblin was pronounced dead at the scene.
His brother Brandon Tumblin, 26, said the family moved to Baton Rouge from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They bought a Habitat for Humanity house on Lewis Street — one of several in the neighborhood that were constructed specifically for families displaced during Katrina. Most recently the two brothers lived with their aunt in the Scotlandville home.
Brandon said he and Tremell had plans to hang out Wednesday night. The two loved rapping together and were going to spend time at the studio.
Brandon got off work about 10 p.m. and was planning to stop at home and pick up Tremell — until his sister called and told him about the shooting. So he rushed home and watched as first responders tried unsuccessfully to save his brother's life.
"I was just hoping … I didn't wanna think about the worst case," he said. "That's my only brother. I have three sisters but only one brother."
In East Baton Rouge Parish, 83 people were killed in 2019.
He said Tremell spent almost all his time with his girlfriend, who lives just one street over, and their baby daughter. His girlfriend declined to comment when reached outside her home Thursday morning, saying it was too painful to talk about.
Tremell was also preparing to start a new job as custodian at a local hospital, his brother said.
"He was funny. He could make you laugh," Brandon said, his face breaking into a smile. "A lot of people loved my brother. I don't know who would want to hurt him like that."
Neighbors reported hearing several shots about 11 p.m. Wednesday. They said gunshots aren't uncommon in their neighborhood, so they didn't initially realize the seriousness of what happened.
One woman also said she heard men's voices having what sounded like an argument in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
Baton Rouge police remained on the scene for hours overnight and investigators returned to the house Thursday morning to continue collecting evidence. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the department's Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4865 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.
