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CLE family desperate to find son's killer

Posted at 11:26 PM, Apr 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-29 05:42:29-04

A Cleveland family is desperate for answers after their 22-year-old son was gunned down on the city's east side, refusing to let his murder lie unsolved.

Ernest Levertwas shot in the chest as he drove his grandmother's car, a black Kia, around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning on Ansel Rd. and Crumb Ave.

Levert crashed into a pole that then smashed into a home. Police said officers pulled him from the car and gave him first aid until paramedics arrived, but he was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots moments before the deadly wreck.

Levert's family believes it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

His mother April Levert said she couldn't comprehend that it could possibly be her son when she first got the call.

"Just why? Why him? No enemies so it couldn't have been my son," she said tearfully Thursday night. "He was special. He was definitely a gift."

"A good life gone too soon," said Richard Levert, Sr., Ernest's grandfather. "He had so much potential to go further in his life."

He described Levert as the core of their tight-knit family, the eldest brother of five sisters. A life-long athlete, Levert went to college on a track scholarship.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with the unexpected funeral costs and are hoping the public can help point the finger at the shooter.

"You were man enough to pull the trigger, be man enough to turn yourself in," Richard said.

Police have not released any sort of description of the gunman.