By Megan G. Razzetti
East Los Angeles College student athlete Saieed Ivey was found dead in Monterey Park on June 9, his 20th birthday.
Ivey played guard on ELAC men’s basketball team and is originally from Chicago, Illinois.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Ivey’s nephew Cortez Smith said he and his uncle moved to Los Angeles to stay out of trouble after Ivey’s brother, Mario Hines was also gunned down in a vehicle in March 2010.
Elans who knew Ivey remember him for his hard work and dedication to his future.
“He was ELAC. He embodied everything our program was about. From the hard work to the classroom. He had a 3.7 GPA; he showed what this program was about,” said John Mosley, men’s basketball coach.
In an email ELAC President Marvin Martinez on June 9, expressed his deepest sympathies and condolences to the family.
He also said that, according to Mosley, Ivey was an exceptional young man who was not only an outstanding basketball player, but a dedicated student who was interested in becoming a lawyer.
“No one’s family deserves to go through what his family has to gone through. It still bothers me to this day,” said Al Cone, athletic director.
The Monterey Police Department responded to a “Gunshot Call” where they discovered a light colored Mercedes with its lights on.
Ivey was found in the backseat of the car with a single gunshot on the upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to news release by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department had been called to the scene after the MPPD discovered Ivey unresponsive in the locked car.
Ivey’s mother Chareda Carter flew from Chicago and confirmed that it was Ivey in a interview with KTLA.
“Saieed is a really great kid. So many people loved him,” Carter said to reporters.
Ivey’s death has also left a lasting impact on those who knew him through basketball.
“He was the hardest working kid; student-player I ever knew. I get emotional thinking about him all the time. He was such a kind kid,” said Darren French, men’s basketball assistant coach.
LASD homicide detectives were told by witnesses that Ivey was with friends at a gathering and had walked off from the group.