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Man with gun shot, killed after urinating on neighbor's home in northeast El Paso


Booking photo for 28-year-old Eduardo Blanco (credit: El Paso Police Department)
Booking photo for 28-year-old Eduardo Blanco (credit: El Paso Police Department)
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A man was booked into the El Paso County Jail and charged with murder after a 26-year-old man was shot and killed in the northeast on Wednesday.

According to an affidavit, the suspect Eduardo David Blanco, 28, told investigators that an argument started after his dog urinated on a neighboring property where the victim, Atravius Burkes, was at.

The argument, at 8944 Robert Drive, later escalated when Burkes began to urinate on Blanco's property, the affidavit stated.

The El Paso Police Department and Blanco said that Burkes was in possession of a handgun and made it known that he had the firearm.

Blanco said that Burkes pointed his gun at him and heard him fire the gun, the affidavit stated.

When the confrontation continued, Blanco fired a rifle multiple times at Burkes and killed him, police said.

According to the affidavit, Blanco called 9-1-1 and told an operator that he did shoot Burkes after Burkes reportedly shot him.

Blanco later identified the gun he shot Burkes with as an AK-47, the affidavit stated.

Investigators concluded that Burkes did have a handgun on him but that he never pointed it at Blanco or shot at him.

The affidavit also stated that Blanco, who was on his own property, shot at Burkes through a chainlink fence.

Investigators said Blanco claimed self-defense.

Burkes was not on Blanco's property when he was shot, the affidavit stated.

According to the affidavit, Burkes fell to the ground after being shot and Blanco reportedly shot him on the ground several more times.

Blanco then pointed his rifle at other people and made threatening comments, investigators said.

Burkes' girlfriend reportedly took his handgun and it was later found inside of a couch at 8944 Robert Drive, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said the gun was not loaded and that no bullet casings matching Burkes' gun were found at the scene.

A report of a shooting was received at 2:44 a.m. according to EPPD.

Before the shooting, around 01:09 a.m., police were called to 8944 Robert Drive for a report that Blanco was seen pointing a gun at a woman's daughter and her daughter's boyfriend.

When officers got to the scene, the woman's daughter and her daughter's boyfriend were not there, the affidavit stated.

Sergeant Javier Sambrano with the EPPD was on the scene of the investigation and confirmed one man, described as African-American, was shot.

"Right now the investigation continues with photographing, videotaping, and gathering of evidence, which can take hours," Sambrano said.

Sambrano said a 28-year-old Hispanic man was arrested.

“The suspect was at the scene. Officers made contact with him, and he did come out of a residence he was at. He was taken into custody without incident,” Sambrano said.

Blanco was booked on an outstanding criminal warrant for assault family violence regarding an incident on April 17, 2021.

Blanco is being held under a $750,000 dollar bond.

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This is an ongoing investigation, check back for updates.

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