Daniel Armando Cano Preciado was a 26-year-old Hispanic man whose family in Arizona worked to bring him home after his death in Tennessee. His sister-in-law organized a fundraiser to help return his body to them, remembering him after his life was taken in September 2023.
On the late morning of September 14, 2023, authorities in Kingsport, Tennessee, responded to reports of gunfire in the Lynn Garden community.
Around 11:48 a.m., they arrived in the Akers Avenue area and found Cano Preciado suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Holston Valley Medical Center, but he did not survive and was pronounced dead.
At the scene of the shooting, police detained 30-year-old Michael Garcia. He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Cano Preciado's death. Garcia was transported to the Kingsport City Jail, where he was held without bond to await his arraignment as the investigation continued.
During a preliminary hearing on October 10, 2023, witnesses provided harrowing testimony about the shooting. Emilee Jeffers, the mother of Cano Preciado's young daughter, told the court that Garcia, who was not welcome at their home, arrived and shot Cano Preciado multiple times without any provocation. She stated that their two-year-old daughter was present during the attack. Another witness testified to seeing Garcia continue to shoot as Cano Preciado tried to run away. Despite immediate efforts to perform CPR, his injuries were fatal.
In court, Garcia’s attorney argued that the incident was a "passion-driven" crime and requested that his bond be reduced to $250,000 with GPS monitoring, citing Garcia's ties to the community and a lack of significant criminal history. The judge denied the request, maintaining the bond at $1 million. As of October 2023, the case was bound over to a Sullivan County Grand Jury for further proceedings.
