Ohio Man Who Went Viral for Having Same Birthday as Wife and Their Twins Is Shot Dead: 'Light of Our Lives' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Scierra and José Ervin, Jr. with their newborn twins, A’Ria and José III in August 2023.Photo:Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic

Scierra and José Ervin, Jr. made headlines last year when they had twins born on the couple’s shared birthday Aug. 18 — what José thendeclared to PEOPLEhad been the “best birthday present ever.”

Days after A’Ria and José Ervin III’s births, the proud father, then 31, was already planning the family of four’s first joint birthday.

“We can just do one big celebration, do it all at one time,” José told PEOPLE, adding, “That would be beautiful.”

But less than two months after that much-anticipated first birthday celebration – and with Scierra pregnant with the couple’s third child – José was gunned down in Garfield, Ohio, in the early morning hours of Friday, Oct. 4, in a case that has so far yielded no arrests.

José’s sister, Chloe' Ervin-Dozier, confirmed his death to PEOPLE.

“Jose was the light of everybody’s life,” she says. “It’s hard that he’s not with us.”

José Ervin, Jr. with his twins, A’Ria and José III, after his college graduation ceremony in February 2024.Gofundme

Gofundme

Garfield Heights police and the Cuyahoga County medical examiner did not respond to PEOPLE in time for publication, but regional outletsCleveland.com,19 NewsandABC 5reported on the shooting.

José, 32, was shot multiple times at a Dunkin’ Donuts on Turney Road, according to his sister andABC5.

Scierra and José Ervin, Jr. with their twins, A’Ria and José III, at Lee-Seville Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio on June 22, 2024.Chloe' Ervin-Dozier

Chloe' Ervin-Dozier

Ervin-Dozier, 33, tells PEOPLE her brother had left a local bar with his best friend in the early morning hours of Friday and had headed to the gas station.

There, she says — citing video footage — cameras show that her brother asked a group of people for a cigarette, which quickly escalated into a confrontation.

Ervin-Dozier says her brother backed away when he saw that a man in the group had a gun, but, she says, José was eventually shot a short distance away at the Dunkin’ Donuts.

In a phone interview Friday afternoon, Oct. 11, Ervin-Dozier said the family is still waiting for an arrest.

“He chased my brother down like he was prey,” she said of the shooter.

José was transported to Marymount Hospital, where he died at 3:34 a.m. on Oct. 4, according to his sister.

Scierra and José Ervin, Jr. on their wedding day, June 22, 2024.Chloe' Ervin-Dozier

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Scierra and José had just married in a large ceremony at Lee-Seville Baptist Church in Cleveland on June 22.

Less than two months later, the newlyweds celebrated their quadruple birthday party with a vanilla buttercream frosting cake covered in sprinkles with a “One” candle shooting out of piped icing.

“We partied — we really had a good time,” recalls Ervin-Dozier, adding that the virtual party had lasted four hours. “I genuinely think for José, this party was one for the books.”

José Ervin, Jr. with his son, José III, on the twins’s first birthday on Aug. 18, 2024.Chloe' Ervin-Dozier

She added that her brother’s life wish had already been granted: “All José wanted to do was to be a father.”

In recent months, the family put down a deposit on a home in Parma, Ohio.Now, Scierra – who is 10 weeks pregnant – does not want to live alone in the home the couple had dreamed of together.

Looking toward the family’s future, José — who celebrated his college graduation with a degree in building maintenance in February — had enrolled in a welding program and was slated to start Monday, Oct. 14.

He had also started his own HVAC building maintenance company, which he had named José & Sons — “and he only had one son,” his sister says with a laugh: “But he was banking on Terry being another boy.”

AGoFundMehas been set up to help cover the costs of José Ervin, Jr.’s funeral and to help support his wife and children.

source: people.com