In the autumn of 2025, a dispute over a tattoo appointment at a Baton Rouge barbershop tragically escalated, ending the life of Marvin Tolliver, a 29-year-old male barber who was simply at his place of work. On the evening of October 15, police were called to the Fade District Barbershop on Greenwell Springs Road, where they discovered Tolliver had been fatally shot. He was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of a conflict that he had no part in.
The incident began when a customer, Sylvester Bouligny III, arrived late for his 4 p.m. tattoo appointment and was told he would have to wait or reschedule.
Frustrated by the situation, Bouligny left the establishment, only to return later with other individuals. An argument with the tattoo artist over the non-refundable $150 deposit quickly turned violent. Bouligny allegedly punched the tattoo artist, and as they fought, two men who had accompanied Bouligny opened fire inside the barbershop. It was during this hail of bullets that Marvin Tolliver, who was reportedly trying to de-escalate the argument, was struck and killed.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation was launched that led to the arrest of five individuals. Sylvester Bouligny III was apprehended the day after the incident and charged with principal to second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Over the following months, four other suspects were taken into custody. Travis Kenney Jr., identified as Bouligny's cousin, and Gregory Stewart Jr. were both arrested in November and charged with second-degree murder.
The fourth suspect, 19-year-old Reginald Grimes Jr., was arrested at the end of December by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force and also faced a charge of second-degree murder. The fifth and final suspect, Gianni Rankins, was arrested in mid-January of the following year, also on a charge of second-degree murder. The series of arrests brought a measure of progress in the case, though it could not undo the senseless loss of an innocent man's life.
