Ezjehn Frank Leonte Moss, a 22-year-old Black male from Cleveland, Ohio, died on January 8, 2023, leaving behind a family that remembered him as “Frank,” an outgoing presence with an easy smile and a deep devotion to the people he loved.
That Sunday afternoon, the ordinary rhythm of a neighborhood errand turned into a violent ambush. Just before 2 p.m., first responders were called to the area of In & Out Beverage and Deli on Lakeview Road in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood,
where Moss was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Hospitals, but he did not survive.
Investigators said the attack happened as he was leaving the store: three armed suspects approached, then opened fire, striking him multiple times, including a gunshot wound to the head. Police reported the shooters fled the scene in a red vehicle, and at the time the case was made public, no arrests had been announced. A community alert circulating afterward urged people to watch for a red Kia, noting a license plate beginning with “FWY,” as the search for the shooters continued.
Away from the crime-scene tape and flashing lights, his story stretched beyond that single afternoon. He was born in Akron and later relocated to Cleveland, and those closest to him described a person who carried himself like an “old soul,” took pride in fatherhood, and found joy in simple things—time with family, sports, and making music with his brothers. In the wake of his death, the public accounts left the motive unspoken, lingering as another unanswered piece in a case defined, so far, by three fleeing figures and a car disappearing down city streets.
