'Selfless' dad shot dead on camping trip with young daughters was married to high school sweetheart: Family

A man mysteriously shot dead while camping with his two young daughters was a "selfless" and "generous" father who was married to his high school sweetheart, his family said.

Tristan Beaudette, 35, was gunned down at about 4:45 a.m. Friday at Malibu Creek State Park in Southern California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office and Department Medical Examiner said. No one else was injured, the sheriff's office said.

Beaudette died in front of his 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters inside their tent, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV. His wife wasn't on the camping trip because she was studying for an exam, KABC reported.

Now, his family is "heartbroken."

"The grief and trauma this loss has caused our close-knit family is indescribable," Beaudette's family said in a statement.

"Tristan was universally admired by his friends and family. A scientist who loved cooking and microbrews, Tristan was happiest out in nature, and spent every chance he could hiking, biking, snowboarding, and camping with his family," the family said.

"Married to his high-school sweetheart, Tristan was a supportive and generous husband, a full partner in every sense of the word," the family said. "His selfless devotion to his children came naturally, and Tristan found true joy in all aspects of being a father."

But the beloved father's death remains a mystery.

No arrests have been made and there's no known motive, the sheriff's office said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

"We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support we have received in the wake of our loss," Beaudette's family added. "Knowing that Tristan’s deep kindness touched so many people is a comfort during this extremely difficult time. Tristan is and always will be a part of our family."