Though Tuluv Price wants the person who fatally shot her brother earlier this month to be held responsible– she also believes his tragic death was years in the making.

“It was like an inevitable fate,” Price said of the death of her 36-year-old brother Michael Dupre Price.

Price, a father of two boys, was killed in the 4600 block of Benning Rd., SE. Price remembered her brother as a guy with a “Napoleon complex” –short, but full of energy and personality.

“Anytime he walked into a room, any dead air in that room he would fill it in,” Price said. “Everyone in my family has that quality, but he had it more than anyone.”

As one of six children, Tuluv Price and her brother were raised by their grandparents.

“He couldn’t do any wrong in my grandfather’s eyes,” She said. “He was smart and witty–he could convince you of anything in an argument. You’d never know what to expect from him.”

But life wasn’t always easy for the father of two. Price’s mother was addicted to crack and a victim of domestic violence– so he and his sister were raised by their grandparents. Though Price and his siblings came from different fathers, the siblings all had a bond and found each other, remembering birthdays and getting together and catching up throughout the years. 

“He wasn’t educated– his life was rough, and he was on the streets at a very young age,” Price said.”He wanted to make a change and he wanted to get out of the situation that he was in – in the hood i would say it’s difficult to get out. There are a lot of influences pulling you in a lot of different directions.”

Price was hopeful the cycle of being on the streets would end with him, his sister said, who said she’ll never forget all the boasting he did about his two sons, Michael, 16, and Carter, 2.

“He was crazy about those boys,” she said. “His sons were his prized possessions. Mikey, he’s so wonderful–and he was taller than him, and Carter is just about to start a school.”

But despite his upbringing, Price was never one to first resort to violence to settle a problem, his sister said.

“If anybody any had any problems– street-wise or any problems of any kind, or feeling worried about anything pertaining to the streets he would handle it in a very amicable way.”

Price has heard from other siblings that the person who killed her brother had pulled out a gun on him days before– but he didn’t want anything violent to happen.

She’s hopeful the person who killed her brother will be arrested and held responsible, and urged anyone with information to contact the police at their tip line at (202) 727-9099. She has also created a Go Fund Me page collecting donations for Price’s burial and help for his sons. 

“He was always looking for a better solution before violence or anything else – and i’m not saying he was totally innocent– he had a temper,” she said. “But he definitely would try to seek out alternatives before anything dramatic and as a result I guess it cost him his life.”