The Dayton resident had been shot in the head. Police said the shooting may have happened the previous night, but it was unclear why Shells was at the location.
"I don't even know how to live. Nothing in this world don't seem the same," the victim's mother Crystal Shells said Monday night.
Crystal Shells told News Center 7's Kate Bartley that her son was a friendly person who had developed work skills at a young age and who took care of his grandmother.
"He wasn't a lazy kid," she said. "He liked to stay busy. He was into sports. He worked on houses. He took care of my mother. Gave her insulin, Checked her blood sugar and everything. He was just a good kid."
Police are not releasing many details about the investigation. Neighbors told police on Sunday they heard shots fired in the area Saturday night.
Crystal Shells said her daughter told her she saw her brother after he died, and he said 'I'm OK, just think of me up there.'"
"Please somebody," she said, "Speak up and tell them whatever they know ... because it's a shame that he's gone ... I don't know how to live without him."
Shells was one of two deadly shootings in less than 24 hours this past weekend, bringing the city's total homicides so far this year to 26.
To provide a tip, call (937) 333-COPS or the regional dispatch center at (937) 225-4357.
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