JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (Editor's Note: The video above is not related to this story)
A Jacksonville man is behind bars after deputies say he was connected to a deadly shooting that happened early Tuesday morning in Sarasota.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, before 2 a.m., authorities responded to the 2500 block of Green Oak Court over reports of a shooting.
When they arrived, deputies say they came across a 64-year-old man with several gunshot wounds.
After speaking with witnesses, law enforcement identified 30-year-old Patrick Eckardt as the person who pulled the trigger. Law enforcement says Eckardt was visiting the home when the shooting happened.
According to witnesses, Eckardt was cutting utility cables outside the house. The incident report says that he was having a mental health crisis and believed that people were following and tracking him, which led to an argument with the elderly man.
The argument escalated to the point where Eckardt reportedly grabbed a handgun, fired it at the man and left the area.
Law enforcement says Eckardt was pulled over by deputies nearby the home and placed into custody. He is being charged with second-degree murder.
