BALTIMORE — When you sat in his chair he transformed your look-- and made you feel like a celebrity.
Devon Chavis died Wednesday after being shot outside of his apartment Tuesday night.
RELATED: Well-known barber murdered in Northeast Baltimore
Celebrity Cutz by Dev has over 20,000 Instagram followers, but it was his in-person conversations that built his brand.
“He’s on a platform up there, and it’s like that was his stage,” said Anthony “Mickey” Johnson. “He was a good guy. The atmosphere, it changed once he came in. Everything was good, everything was peaceful. It was fun.”
He was excited to get back to showing off his skills after a week away from his chair.
Instead his business partners have lost a brother, a 2 year old has lost a father, and a community is mourning a man who made them proud.
Johnson and his business partner work on tattoos in the back of their building at 14 21st Street in Charles North.
Chavis specialized in hair replacements in the front.
The thought-filled conversations and laughter between the friends and business partners was replaced by an eerie silence Wednesday.
“He was supposed to return today to come to work, and he’s not coming in,” Johnson said.
The balloons that were hanging behind his chair for his 28th birthday are now accompanied by flowers laying in his chair.
“It wasn’t for him, he was a good guy,” Johnson said. “Why...like why him?”
His thirst for knowledge made him stand out.
He led by example and was always willing to share.
“Young Baltimore men, showing them, you can do certain things and not be out there doing nothing illegal or whatever,” Johnson said. “You can do certain things to really get what you want and accomplish things.”
Now a little girl will grow up without her dad; everything he was working to build was for her.
“Two years old and she can hold a whole conversation,” Johnson said. “She’s amazing, and that was his world.”
Chavis wanted to continue to grow his brand and open his own barbershop.
His biggest goal was to leave something for his daughter and build a home and a family.
Homicide detectives are now investigating his murder and are asking anyone with information to contact them at (410) 396-2100.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the Metro Crime Stoppers' hotline at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
