The family of a 19-year-old killed by gun violence last weekend is remembering him for his 19 years on Earth.

Former East High School football player Keondre Lewis was shot and killed on March 23, allegedly by a family member at a home on Rhoda Avenue.

According to a police report, police found Lewis lying in the dining room of a home with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Lewis was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.

"He made everybody laugh," said Savion Watson, Keondre's former teammate. "If you knew Keondre Lewis, you would know he was one of the funniest people on the planet. He was a real standout guy since elementary school. He cared about everybody. He was the light of the room and there was never a dull moment when you were around him."

"He was a mentor to most of the kids," said Anita Branch, Keondre's aunt. "The younger ones loved being around him. I'm not understanding what happened but we are honored to celebrate him. He was a great kid and I'm not going to say that he was my favorite, but he was my baby."

"Since we were young, Keondre was the one who brought my family together and brought peace to the family," explained Khalio Mason, Keondre's brother. "He would always make everybody laugh and without him, our family would never be the same."

The 19-year-old graduated from East High School just last year, then entered trade school in hopes of becoming a tractor-trailer driver. His family says he was ready to take on his future before he was fatally shot in the head Sunday, allegedly by his cousin.

14-year-old Willie Wilkes is being held at the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center. He's charged with murder with a three-year firearm specification.

"It was never like this and it's getting out of hand," Branch said. "It's like no one is paying attention. This is just getting worse. This happened at the hands of a 14-year-old. These parents need to get ahold of their kids, that's #1. You have to get ahold of your kids. Not only are we mourning Keondre, but the family of Willie Wilkes also lost their child to incarceration."

Keondre grew up before Coach Brian Slade's eyes. His little league coach described him as a well-mannered, respectful young man.

"He wanted things in life and wanted to work to better himself and his community," Slade said. "He was a lovable young man who would do anything for anyone in a heartbeat."

Slade knows all too well what Keondre's family is going through, he also lost a child to gun violence.

"It is the hardest thing to deal with. So many youth are leaving us," he told 21 News. "They could be doctors, lawyers, or police officers. These kids are our future and they're dying at an early age. As coaches, we try to do as much as we can to prevent gun violence. I wish we had the answer to how to stop gun violence."

"Is it shocking how young these children are?" 21 News asked Keondre's friends. "Yes, it's getting crazy," said Andrew Underwood, Keondre's friend. "That's too young. At 14, I wasn't playing with any guns. I was playing football outside with my friends. Me and Keondre were playing with each other at 14."

"The gun violence is just a repetitive cycle and it needs to stop," Watson said.

Keondre's family created a GoFundMe to pay for funeral expenses. The fundraiser has nearly reached $5k as of Friday evening.