LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster County man is facing charges after police say he falsely claimed last month that someone shot him when he had, in fact, shot himself.
Kenny Garcia, 35, of Lancaster, allegedly contacted police shortly after 6 a.m. on June 23 to report he had been shot. He said an unknown assailant shot him from an elevated position at a location on the 1500 block of Lincoln Highway East, according to West Lampeter Township Police.
Garcia allegedly told police he was inside a detached garage at his home and opened the automatic garage door. At that point, he reported, he heard a "pop" sound and realized he'd been shot in the leg.
He was transported to Lancaster General Hospital for treatment, police say.
Police searched the garage and located a 1988 GMC Sierra pickup truck. There were multiple drops of blood on the floor under the driver's side door, according to police. Under the driver's seat, police found a Keltec 9mm rifle with its stock collapsed and multiple rounds of 9mm ammunition, police said.
About 15 feet behind the truck, police located a spent 9mm shell casing, according to the criminal complaint affidavit filed against Garcia.
Garcia was also found to be in possession of a rifle, suspected marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, according to police.
During a second interview, Garcia allegedly admitted that he accidentally shot himself while carrying the rifle into the garage, police said. Garcia reported he was collapsing the stock of the rifle when it went off, striking him in the leg.
Police charged him with a felony count of persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell, or transfer a firearm, making a false report to law enforcement, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A warrant has been issued for Garcia's arrest.
