It was a time when fear gripped the Valley. Law enforcement agencies in Phoenix and surrounding areas on high alert as two different serial killers terrorized the community.
It was the time when the “Baseline Killer” was sexually assaulting and killing women, and police were also on the hunt for the suspect driving around the Valley, randomly shooting at and killing innocent bystanders.
"They went out looking for people in dimly lit areas with no traffic. When they found the person they would shoot them," said Cliff Jewell a lead detective in the serial shooting case. "They called it RV-ing which stands for recreational violence," he added.
The Phoenix serial shooters turned out to be Dale Hausner and Sam Dieteman. Paul Patrick was one of 27 people they tried to kill. Nine died, the rest, like Patrick, survived but their lives scarred and changed forever by the random act of violence.
His family tells ABC15 Patrick had stepped out for a brief moment in the summer of 2006, to get cigarettes. That is when he was shot in the abdomen at close range.
Twelve years after being shot, Patrick has sadly passed away.
Clark Achwartzkopf, one of the detectives involved in the case, spent a lot of time with Patrick at the hospital after the shooting. He says he was amazed Patrick survived the injury.
He was also amazed at the resilience of the man, who even though he was now confined to a motorized scooter, still showed up to court every day during the trial of Dale Hausner.
"He was the face of the trial, he wanted to make sure Hausner saw him and looked him in the eye," said Schwartzkopf.
On the last day of the trial, Patrick suffered a stroke. His presence greatly missed in the courtroom as he could not attend the hearing. Ruth Jasmann, Patrick's sister said her brother suffered for a long time after his injuries. More than 80 pellets from the single gunshot still embedded in his body, after the surgeries.
"He is a fighter, a fierce fighter. That is what I like to call him. He never wanted to be seen as a victim," said Patrick's daughter Chyrstal Cleary.
"He hated the fact that the victims became a number. A case number. He wanted them to have justice, " added Jasmann.
His family remembers Patrick for his good sense of humor, even in his darkest times.
"He always said smoking will kill ya," said Jasmann, referring to the time he went out to smoke and ended up getting shot. He also joked about getting a T-shirt that said "I lost 60 pounds ask me why." His sister said the answer was because he got shot.
"I found it kind of morose, but he laughed about it, that's just who he was," said Jasmann.
Patrick spent the last few years of his life in a nursing home. His family saw him getting weaker by the day, but said he was always the type of person who went around the nursing home giving hope to people and spreading joy," said Jasmann.
Just last week Patrick got to see his beloved dog Misty, who was being cared for by Jasmann.
He got a chance to say goodbye.
His family also got a chance to visit the veteran who had found Patrick on the ground bleeding, shortly after he was shot. The veteran did everything he could to keep Patrick conscious and held him until medics arrived.
Cleary said her father seemed to know his time had come and he tried to comfort them.
"He was preparing us, saying even towards the end, just preparing us you don't have to worry about me. I know where I'm going," said Jasmann.
She added that her brother, the survivor, taught them all how to survive.
"You should bloom where you're planted," said Jasmann.
"Did he choose this life? No, but he tried to make the best of it and I loved him," she added.
Patrick will be laid to rest on Friday. His family has organized a fundraiser to help pay for the funeral. If you would like to contribute, CLICK HERE.
