Erick L. Burton

Erick L. Burton, known to some as "E Streetz," was remembered by loved ones as an uplifting, energetic, and compassionate man who put family first. Described as having the nature of a boss, the 26-year-old Black man was self-employed and a graduate of Sumner High School in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. His life was deeply rooted in a large and loving family, and he was a cherished part of a sprawling network of relatives who now carry his memory.

Erick’s world was shattered on Monday, November 27, 2017. On that day, he was fatally shot in the Greater Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. The specific circumstances of the shooting, including the exact time and location, were not detailed in publicly available reports. His death was one of many that year in a city struggling with a high rate of gun violence. By the end of 2017, St. Louis would record 205 homicides, a figure that marked a 21-year high and underscored the dangers faced by residents in neighborhoods like Greater Ville, which had become one of the city's hotspots for violent crime.

The investigation into Erick Burton’s murder was handled by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. However, in the years since his death, there have been no public announcements regarding any persons of interest, suspects, or arrests in the case. His killing joined a tragically long list of unsolved homicides in the city, leaving his family without answers and his community without a sense of justice. The silence in the public record offers no insight into the motive behind the shooting or the identity of the person responsible for taking the young man's life.

Erick was the beloved son of Ramona McBride and Edward Burton. He leaves to cherish his memory his parents; his grandmother, Ernestine Burton; and his three brothers, Edward Burton II, Edward Burton III, and Damonte Walton. His absence is also deeply felt by a niece, Christiana Gabriel, a special cousin, Derrion Harrison, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who were all part of his life. The pain of his loss was compounded by the fact that his family had mourned the loss of his younger brother, Emonte Burton, less than a year earlier in December 2016.

A visitation and funeral service for Erick were held on Monday, December 11, 2017, at Serenity Memorial Funeral and Cremation Service. He was laid to rest at Friedens Cemetery in St. Louis. Friends and family gathered to say goodbye to a man whose energy and compassion had touched them all, a man who was taken from them far too soon.

As of today, the case of who killed Erick L. Burton remains open and unsolved. His family continues to wait for a breakthrough in the investigation that might bring accountability for his death. The lack of resolution is a heavy burden for a family that has already endured immense grief. His death serves as a stark reminder of the personal tragedies behind the city's crime statistics and the enduring pain of unsolved gun violence.