Illinois Man Dreams His House Is Being Robbed, Shoots Himself in the Leg Before Waking Up

A man in Illinois accidentally shot himself in his sleep while he was dreaming about a burglary attempt, but now he is behind bars for illegally owning a firearm, according to authorities.

Around 9:50 p.m. on April 10, deputies were dispatched to a home in Lake Barrington after receiving a call about a person shot, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Once at the scene, deputies found 62-year-old Mark Dicara suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg, officials said.

First responders quickly applied a tourniquet to his leg since he was “losing a significant amount of blood,” authorities said.

Deputies discovered Dicara reportedly “had a dream that someone was breaking into his home,” so he picked up his .357 Magnum revolver and fired at the suspected burglar, police said. However, Dicara “shot himself and apparently woke up from the dream.”

Dicara was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his wound.

According to authorities, the bullet “lodged itself into Dicara’s bedding” after exiting through his leg. The gunfire reportedly did not hit a wall he shares with his neighbors.

During the investigation, deputies learned that Dicara’s Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) had been revoked, but he still owned a gun.

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On June 12, Dicara was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a firearm without a valid FOID Card and reckless discharge of a firearm, officials said.

He was booked into the Lake County Jail and was later released after posting bond.