Coping After Losing Someone to Homicide: One Family’s Story

The immediate aftermath of homicide is chaotic. While police are combing through the crime scene in Orlando, the family of the victim may be frantically trying to find out what happened. In 2008, a family in California experienced this tragedy. This video features Teresa and Ray, who lost their son Matt Garcia. Matt had been a passionate city councilman who worked tirelessly to help others. When police were called out to the murder scene, they discovered that Matt had been shot in the head over a case of mistaken identity.

Teresa, Ray, and the rest of their family were left to deal with the aftermath. Teresa recounts how the family gathered at the hospital, where Matt had been placed on life support. He never woke up.