JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 30-year-old Jacksonville man shot his father to death outside his Sarasota home this week, police say.
On Tuesday, April 19, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said police arrived at a home on Green Oak Court after a woman called emergency dispatchers claiming her son, Patrick Eckardt, was having a mental breakdown and had just shot her husband.
Police say Eckardt’s brother was at the home and witnessed the shooting. He told police that he had been in a verbal altercation with Eckhardt after he found his brother cutting the internet cables outside the home because he believed he was being tracked and followed.
The brother said he walked back inside to get their father and when they returned, Eckardt pulled a gun from his waistband and shot their father multiple times. After Eckardt walked away, the report states he came back and fired the remainder of the magazine at his father.
Eckardt then got into his truck and left the home, but was pulled over and taken into custody a short time later.
According to incident reports, Jacksonville police responded to Eckardt’s apartment in Mandarin in early April and late March and noted unusual behaviors.
On Mar. 31, an officer responded to Eckardt’s apartment in reference to a possible burglary. Eckardt reportedly told the officer that someone had broken into a safe in his bedroom, stolen the gun inside and replaced it with a different gun. He also alleged his former employer had hacked his cellphone and manipulated text messages.
The officer noted Eckardt had a 9mm handgun and an AR-style rifle in his bedroom.
On Apr. 1, Eckardt called JSO to report a dispute. Noting the unusual nature of the call the day before, the same officer called Eckardt, who alleged that his downstairs neighbor had firearms and he could hear them clicking the firearm safety on and off to intimidate him.
An official report was generated because of his unusual statements. However, the officer noted that Eckardt did not meet the criteria for a Baker Act. The case was forwarded to JSO’s Mental Health Risk Protection Unit.
Eckardt is charged with second-degree murder. He is being held on no bond.