A 62-year-old resident of Lake Barrington, Illinois, has been charged with firearm offenses after accidentally shooting himself in the leg during a dream. Mark Dicara was reportedly dreaming of fighting off a home invasion when he discharged his weapon in his sleep.
Authorities report that on the night of April 10, Dicara woke from his sleep, under the dream-induced impression of a home break-in. He reached for his .357 Magnum revolver and fired a round, erroneously hitting his own leg. When he awoke from his dream, he found the reality far removed from the imagined home invasion.
The subsequent official investigation confirmed no attempted burglary at his residence.
The Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to a distress call regarding a gunshot wound. On arrival, they found Dicara bleeding profusely from his self-inflicted wound. Deputies swiftly applied a tourniquet and arranged for his immediate transport to a nearby hospital. Thankfully, the bullet remained lodged in his bedding after piercing his leg, sparing anyone else from potential harm.
However, this curious incident unveiled a concerning revelation. Despite the legal mandate in Illinois requiring a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card to possess a firearm, Dicara did not have a valid FOID card. His previously held identification had been revoked for reasons undisclosed by the authorities.
Upon this discovery, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Dicara with posessing a firearm without a valid FOID card and reckless discharge of a firearm. These charges, classified as Class 3 and Class 4 felonies, respectively, led to his arrest.
Following his arrest, Dicara was released upon posting a bond of $150,000. His court hearing has been scheduled for June 29th.