Man Detained for Shooting Incident Over Car Horn Beep
Paul Garcia, a 42-year-old man, has been ordered detained after prosecutors revealed that he shot another man in front of the victim’s fiancée and two young children because the family’s car horn beeped as he walked past.
Garcia was arrested this week and charged with attempted first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle.
The shooting took place around 9 p.m. on June 21 in the 9700 block of South Commercial Avenue. According to prosecutors, the victim, along with his fiancée and their 4-year-old children, had just left Calumet Beach and stopped at a corner store for his fiancée to buy an energy drink.
As the fiancée walked towards the store with the key fob for their vehicle in her pocket, it automatically beeped the horn while Garcia was passing by. This seemingly innocent action led Garcia to become aggressive, demanding to know why the family was beeping at him.
The victim tried to explain the situation, but Garcia continued his aggressive behavior. It was at this point that the victim noticed Garcia had a revolver. Garcia then confronted the fiancée inside the store, making threatening remarks indicating that he might harm the victim.
When the victim attempted to call the police, Garcia pulled out the revolver and pointed it at him. After a brief confrontation, Garcia walked away but returned moments later, firing shots at the victim. The victim was struck twice in the back of the neck and head while his children witnessed the horrific incident.
Security cameras captured most of the confrontation, showing Garcia’s violent actions. Fortunately, the victim survived his injuries with no vital organs affected and no fractures.
Garcia, who has a prior conviction for pointing a gun at someone, was detained by Judge James Costello.
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