INDINAPOLIS — Justin Boyd II didn’t just impact the community through his work as an engineer for Indianapolis Fire Department, friends say.

Boyd also impacted the community by being a barber.

Boyd 45, was shot and killed Monday morning alongside Jasmine Ivy-Dede, 42. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department ruled the deaths as homicides.

Flowers on Tuesday were attached to the door of the barber shop Boyd co-owned and worked at when he wasn’t being a firefighter. His initials, JB, are lit up red inside the shop.

Mike Covington has been friends with Boyd for over 20 years. “He has a lot of people that like and love him … a lot.”

Boyd and Covington went to barber school together in the early 2000s. “He’s an inspiration man. I mean, just his life story. The guy came up poor just like I did and made something out of nothing.”

What will Covington miss the most?

“Just his brotherhood, man. We were like brothers. I’m messed up right now. It’s like a blur and it’s going to be hard to get passed this one.”

Fellow barber Jerry Boyd said he was shocked to hear the news. “I never would have seen this type of outcome for him, so it’s quite sad. You know, lose such a great barber and a great pillar of the community.”

The community was forced to come to terms with the loss of the role model. Greg Kenny, who helped teach Boyd how to be a barber, said, “We are going to miss JB. He contributed a lot to our community. We need young men, especially African American men like himself, great role model, great example, in our community.”

Court documents have shed light on how this pillar of the community died.

Boyd’s accused killer, Jason Lapsley, told several people that he passed out in the back of the truck while being driven home early on New Year’s Day. When he woke up during the ride he didn’t recognize the people up front, Boyd and Ivy-Dede.

He asked them where his brother was located. The two responded that Lapsley’s brother asked them to take him home. Lapsley asked again about his brother. When Boyd and Ivy-Dede did not respond he told several people that he shot both of them.

Lapsley was being jailed without bond.