On a late summer evening in North Bend, Washington, a gathering between two childhood friends ended in tragedy. Albert Trinidad Garza, a 42-year-old Hispanic male, was visiting his longtime friend, Robert C. Navarro, at his apartment on August 25, 2015. The two had spent part of the evening at a tavern, sharing a few beers before returning to Navarro's residence.
Later that night, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Navarro decided to show Garza his new Springfield Armory 9mm pistol.
Unbeknownst to Garza, the firearm had a known defect and had been subject to a manufacturer's recall due to a safety concern that could cause it to discharge accidentally. As Navarro was handling the weapon, purportedly checking to see if a round was in the chamber, the gun fired. The bullet struck Garza in the chest. According to Navarro's account to the police, Garza's last words were, "You shot me." He stood up, took a few steps, and then collapsed.
Navarro immediately called 911 to report the shooting. When officers from the Snoqualmie/North Bend Police Department arrived at the Nor'West apartments, they found Albert Garza deceased from a single gunshot wound to the heart. The subsequent investigation revealed that Navarro was aware the pistol was defective. Despite this knowledge, he handled the loaded weapon in a manner that led to the fatal incident. Investigators who later tested the pistol could not make it fire without the trigger being pulled.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Robert C. Navarro, then 50 years old, was charged with second-degree manslaughter for the death of his friend, whom he described to authorities as his "brother." Garza, a resident of Burlington, was remembered as a kind and humorous man who was a state champion wrestler in high school and a father to three children.
