On July 21, 2024, at approximately 12:20 a.m., 24-year-old Fort Bliss soldier Pfc. Manuel Rafael Rivera-Pohl was fatally shot outside Legendz Bar, located at 1610 N. Zaragoza Road in East El Paso, Texas. The incident also resulted in injuries to a 26-year-old fellow soldier, while two other individuals, both 19, escaped unharmed.
Earlier that evening, Rivera-Pohl and his companions attended a car show where they encountered 22-year-old Kwesi Nataniel Bacchus.
A confrontation ensued after Bacchus was admonished for hanging out of a vehicle's passenger window during "burnouts," behavior deemed unsafe. Despite the warning, Bacchus persisted, leading to a heated argument. Later, at Legendz Bar, Bacchus reportedly invited the group outside, but they declined to avoid further conflict. Upon leaving the bar approximately 45 minutes later, they were confronted by Bacchus, who allegedly opened fire from a white Dodge Charger, striking Rivera-Pohl fatally and injuring another soldier.
El Paso Police Department officers in the vicinity heard the gunfire and observed the Charger fleeing the scene. A pursuit ensued but was terminated due to safety concerns as the suspect vehicle ran multiple red lights. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Bacchus, who was charged with murder and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $1,000,000 bond.
Pfc. Rivera-Pohl, an AH-64D Apache helicopter crew chief, enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 2022 and had been stationed at Fort Bliss since July 2023. His untimely death prompted expressions of condolence from military officials, emphasizing the loss felt within the 1st Armored Division community.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting remains ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with pertinent information to contact the El Paso Police Department or Crime Stoppers of El Paso to assist in bringing clarity and justice to this tragic event.
