If They Only Had a Byrna - Family Member Mistaken as Intruder

On this episode of “If They Only Had a Byrna,” a Christmas morning tragedy unfolds when a family member, mistaken for an intruder, is shot and killed.

This last Christmas morning, just outside Chicago, Daniel Garcia’s sister-in-law surprised the family on Christmas Eve by visiting for the holidays. After going to bed for the night, Daniel awoke in the early hours of the morning, hearing strange noises in his house. He subsequently grabbed his 9mm handgun and, after spotting what he believed to be an intruder in his home, fired one round, striking his sister-in-law in the chest and killing her.

Garcia told police that in his sleepy haze, he had forgotten that his sister-in-law was staying with him. If he only had a Byrna, Garcia would have had a viable defense tool to make initial contact with the possible threat. More importantly, his mistake would not have ended the life of a loved one and devastated a family on Christmas morning.

Garcia has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 5 years in prison. Unfortunately, we continue to see the same situation happen repeatedly throughout the US. While we here at Byrna support your ability to protect yourself in your home with firearms, having a less lethal option like a Byrna SD or LE means those mistakes don’t have lethal consequences or come with prison time.

Remember, one bullet can destroy two lives. So be smart, be safe, and be prepared to defend.

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