A 21-year-old Army veteran who had returned from Afghanistan was reportedly fatally shot at his own homecoming party in Sylmar, California, one week after he had allegedly been accepted to the California Highway Patrol Academy. Francisco Garcia, who had recently become engaged, returned after being discharged from the Army two weeks ago and was attending a party thrown for him by his girlfriend. After a fight erupted at the party, Garcia was reportedly shot on the sidewalk at around 1:30 a.m. by a man who went to his car to get a handgun.
Witnesses say Garcia and his friends decided to move the party to another location up the street when two cars drove up and stopped near Sylmar High School. A Hispanic man reportedly got out of the car and broke a beer bottle on the sidewalk while yelling at Garcia, who was across the street. The suspect then walked over to the second car, which was a white Toyota or Honda, and reportedly retrieved a gun from a second suspect, which he used to shoot the soldier.
Garcia, who died at the scene, appears to have beentargeted by the men, according to police. The suspects are thought to have returned to hurt or kill Garcia after they were involved in a heated fight at the first party location. No one else was injured in the incident. Police are still searching for the suspects and trying to find out the nature of the dispute.
There are a few facts that remain unclear here: some sources say the party Garcia attended was thrown in his honor, while others say it was just a party. The victim's family members also say he had been home from Afghanistan for three or four months. As details emerge, I'm sure we will learn more about the killers' motives and why Garcia was targeted.
None of the facts will change the unbelievably sad thought that this young man was brave enough to sacrifice his life for his country, only to become a victim of homicide so close to his home. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, and we hope police quickly apprehend the suspects responsible for this.
What do you think happened here?
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