Eddie Winslow Sanders, a beloved father, son, and brother well-known in his Pueblo, Colorado community, was shot and killed while defending his daughter on September 27, 2026. The 50-year-old man, a father of six, was remembered by friends and family as a "big, lovable teddy bear" who had overcome earlier troubles in his life to become a valued member of the Steel City community.
His obituary noted his kindness, great sense of humor, and pride in being a father; his six children were his everything. Eddie loved riding his Harley, playing dominoes, listening to R&B music, and was an amazing cook.
The tragedy began when Eddie's daughter and her friends were attacked by a group of people who stole her belongings. Later that night, Eddie accompanied her to a home in the 100 block of South Queens Avenue on Pueblo's lower east side to try and retrieve her stolen property. Instead of recovering the items, they were "jumped by a large group," according to his daughter's account. During the ensuing altercation, Eddie was fatally shot.
At approximately 3:05 a.m., the Pueblo Police Department received a ShotSpotter alert for multiple gunshots in the area. A few minutes later, witnesses called 911 to report that someone had been shot and was lying in the street. When officers arrived, they found several people tending to Eddie, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police learned that a second person had also been shot during the incident but had left before they arrived. That individual was later located by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and taken to a hospital in stable condition.
The loss devastated those who knew Eddie. His longtime friend of 37 years, Emilio Rodriguez, said his first thought upon hearing the news was, "No. Not him." "I love seeing how he touched people the way he touched me," Rodriguez said. "Look how many people got to witness and see what a good person he was." Rodriguez's daughter, Janessa Trujillo, who considered Eddie an uncle, described the surreal feeling of loss and the difficulty of breaking the news to her father. "It's amazing to see that he meant that much to that many people," Trujillo said. "This is affecting not just one family. You know, this is affecting lots of people, a lot of families."
The Pueblo Police Department confirmed that multiple people were involved in the fight that led to the shooting and that they had not yet made contact with everyone present. Several witnesses were taken to police headquarters for interviews as the investigation began. Eddie's death was the 12th homicide in the city of Pueblo in 2026, an increase from the 10 homicides recorded by the same time in 2025. The neighborhood on the city's North Side was left shaken, with community members calling for anyone with information to come forward.
As of late September 2026, the investigation by the Pueblo Police Department remains open and ongoing. No arrests have been made, and police have not released information about a potential motive or suspects. Investigators are urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact Detective Charleston at (719) 553-3382. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Pueblo Crime Stoppers at 542-STOP (7867).
