Fairfield CA Councilman taken off life support after being shot

Fairfield Councilman Taken Off Life Support
Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia was taken off life support this morning and died at 6 a.m., four days after he was shot in the head and declared brain-dead, officials said.

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, September 5, 2008

(09-05) 14:33 PDT FAIRFIELD -- Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia was taken off life support this morning, four days after he was shot in the head and declared brain-dead, officials said.



Garcia died at 6 a.m. at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, a nursing supervisor said.

No arrest have been made in the shooting, which happened at about 8:30 p.m. Monday on the 5000 block of Silverado Drive in Fairfield.

Fairfield police said an autopsy was performed early today, but results won't be available for a few days.

Garcia's family announced this afternoon that a new youth center set to open later this year will be named after the 22-year-old councilman, who was active in children's issues in Fairfield. The youth center previously was to be named after Fairfield philanthropist Billy Yarbrough, who died in July. The Yarbrough family, who knew Garcia, asked to change the name.

Police said Garcia had been talking with a female friend in the driveway of her family's home when a man in his late teens or early 20s stepped out of a parked car and, from a distance of about 50 yards, fired several shots from a small-caliber handgun or rifle. Police recovered eight shell casings from the roadway.
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