Five men have been indicted in connection with the October 2025 shooting that killed Marvin Tolliver, a bystander, at a Baton Rouge barbershop. Tolliver, 29, died in the Oct. 15 shooting off Greenwell Springs Road, according to WBRZ.
A grand jury indicted Gregory Stewart Jr., Travis Kenny Jr., Sylvester Bouligny III, Reginald Grimes Jr. and Gianni Rankins on Oct. 29 on charges of second-degree murder, illegal use of weapons and obstruction of justice, WBRZ reported. The shooting occurred in the 9700 block of Platt Drive in Baton Rouge.
A Missed Appointment Sparks the Violence
The chain of events began with a scheduling dispute at Faded District Barbershop, where Bouligny had a 4 p.m. tattoo appointment and had already paid a non-refundable $150 deposit. Arrest documents detailed by the station's report show the tattoo artist told Bouligny he could reschedule later that day or wait until the artist finished with his current client. That answer did not sit well with Bouligny.
The same account says Bouligny left, went to the Glen Oaks area to pick up two other people, then returned and demanded a refund. When the tattoo artist refused, Bouligny punched him, according to the affidavit.
Gunfire Erupts Mid-Fight
The affidavit account says two other men fired shots inside the barbershop while the fight was underway. Tolliver, who was not described as involved in the dispute, was killed in the shooting.
Reports have differed on Bouligny's age. The Advocate reported he was 24 when booked into East Baton Rouge Parish prison on a charge of principal to second-degree murder, while an earlier WBRZ report on his arrest identified him as 29.
Five Men Now Facing Murder Charges
The indictment charges Stewart, Kenny, Bouligny, Grimes and Rankins with second-degree murder, illegal use of weapons and obstruction of justice. The court records described in news reports do not specify what role each man is accused of playing in the shooting.
Homicide Counts in Context
East Baton Rouge Coroner records list 170 homicides in 2021 and 106 in 2025, with the 2025 figure marked “others pending”; those parishwide counts provide context, not an explanation for Tolliver’s death, according to the East Baton Rouge Coroner.
Tolliver's death turned a routine dispute over a tattoo deposit into a homicide case that has now reached a grand jury more than a year after the shooting.
