NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans music community is saying goodbye to one of their tuba players. Revell Andrews, cousin to Trombone Shorty was shot and killed on Monday.
Music ran through Revell Andrews's blood. His aunt, Toranzette Andrews told Eyewitness News at her nephew's memorial: "He was the only tuba player in the Andrews family."
The 18-year-old is part of the well-known New Orleans Andrews music family. His cousin is Troy Andrews – known as "Trombone Shorty". Now, the family will have to learn to live without him.
"One day he just go out and they take his life," his mother, Deanna Andrews said.
According to NOPD, Revell was shot Monday afternoon at St Claude and Franklin Avenues.
Deanna Andrews was inconsolable at her child's vigil.
"Hurts because my son don't deserve what he got, he wasn't that type of person for nobody to walk up and kill like that," Andrews said.
Revell’s family says he was a straight-A student who'd just graduated from McDonogh 35 Senior High School. Two weeks ago he got his driver's license and his family had just bought him a jeep. He was set to start at Southern University in the fall.
"He was a very sweet child and he did everything for his grandmother. He loved me very much and I loved him. He was a beautiful child, he really was," his grandmother, Debra Andrews told Eyewitness News.
Malae Rhodes struggled to come to terms with her boyfriend's death.
"He was really dead, and I started crying and I haven't stopped crying ever since," Rhodes said.
Revell's family is asking why their son, nephew, brother and best friend was taken away from them.
"He lost his life for absolutely nothing. He was not that kind of child running the streets, nothing like that. This kind of senseless violence is what he was avoiding," Toranzette Andrews said.
Black and white balloons filled the Treme sky. The music that was such a big part of Revell’s life, now guiding him home.
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