Local News

FAIRFIELD (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― The family of a 22-year-old Fairfield city councilman allowed doctors to take him off life support Wednesday as public officials and residents of the Solano County community struggled to understand why someone shot the popular young politician.

Matt Garcia had been declared brain dead at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek after being gunned down Monday night while speaking with a friend outside her home.

Family spokesman Ron Marlette said Garcia's death provided the gift of life to others. The organ donation team at the John Muir processed Garcia's heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas.

It was Garcia's wish to donate his organs and he hoped it would be an example to others, and a grandmother had already requested a kidney for her 25-year-old grandson, Marlette said.

Friends and colleagues visited a memorial to Garcia on Wednesday located under a tree on a small grass hill in the plaza outside City Hall. Several hundred people had attended a vigil there Tuesday night.

Garcia's grandmother, Chris Garcia, said she could tell by the size of the crowd that "he touched your lives as much as he touched mine."

Many mourners left flowers and some left written remembrances.

"You were the voice of our youth and such an inspiration to all of Fairfield. You are deeply missed and now we are lost. You've also been such a great friend to me," Nicole Garfield wrote.

At the memorial, Queenie Chatman cried as she tried to make sense of the shooting of her former Armijo High School classmate.

"It's not fair. Why him? I just talked to him. Someone either followed him or they set him up," she sobbed.

Police have not offered a motive for the shooting but some of Garcia's friends speculated the shooter may be a gang member who resented Garcia's efforts to steer youth away from the gang lifestyle.

At a Wednesday news conference, Lt. Bob Bunting, commander of the Major Crimes Division, said based on information received from witnesses that the suspect was described as a light-skinned black or hispanic male, 5'9" with a medium build.

The gunman, who got out of a mid-90s, American model sedan and fired several shots at Garcia outside a house in the 5000 block of Silverado Drive, remained at large. One of the at least eight shots fired struck Garcia in the back of the head, and the suspect then got back in his car and fled westbound on Silverado Drive toward Oakbrook Drive.

Investigators said they had recovered at least eight small caliber bullet casings at the scene and those were sent off to the state Department of Justice for analysis. 
 
More than 90 investigators from local and state law enforcement agencies and the FBI were working the case, Fairfield Police Chief Kenton Rainey said.

Garcia was just 21-years-old when he was sworn in last fall as a councilman, making him one of the youngest elected officials in California. He vowed to focus on crime prevention, economic development, community growth and keeping Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield.

Garcia said his father had spent time in prison, used drugs and been involved with gangs, and he credited his grandmother and other family members from keeping him from a similar fate.

"I know what drugs and being a gang member can do to you..." he told Vacaville's The Reporter newspaper last year. "I chose not to go that direction."

Garcia was vice president of his senior class in high school. He then attended classes at Solano Community College in Fairfield after graduation and was working at a bank in Fairfield when he was elected to the council.

His family thanked the community for the outpouring of interest in the story of his life and death.

"Matt's story has gained national attention and has young people all over the country waiting to make changes in their communities," Marlette said.

He indicated that a prayer service was scheduled at the Parkway Community Church in Fairfield on Thursday at 7 p.m. and community viewing time would then be held Monday between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Liberty Christian Center in Fairfield.

In addition, a memorial service was being planned at Armijo High School for Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the football field.

Garcia will be interred at Fairmont Memorial Park, Marlette said.

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