Israel Perez, a 41-year-old Hispanic man, died on March 20, 2018, in El Paso after a shotgun discharged while he was attempting to retrieve it from the trunk of a car. He was found dead on the sidewalk on Desert View Drive at about 12:56 a.m. The El Paso Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons unit investigated and determined the firearm had been illegally modified, with safety features such as the trigger guard removed so the trigger was exposed.

Perez had gone to the location to sell the shotgun. Investigators used forensic evidence to reconstruct the circumstances and ruled the shooting accidental; no arrests or suspects were identified in connection with his death. The case remained under review pending the final autopsy report.

Does anyone have information about the sale or modification of that shotgun or remember activity on Desert View Drive that night?