Joseph Patruno, a 57-year-old man, was fatally shot on the afternoon of November 26, 2022, at a gas station in north Phoenix, Arizona. The incident occurred just after 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of Cave Creek and Bell Road. Patruno, a commercial painter and musician who grew up in the Phoenix area, was at a gas pump when he was approached by the shooter.
First responders found him with serious gunshot wounds and transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Surveillance footage from the gas station captured the unprovoked attack. The assailant, identified as 29-year-old Eduardo Quintero, walked up to Patruno and opened fire. After Patruno fell to the ground, Quintero shot him multiple times. He then walked away, only to return and shoot the victim again as he lay on the ground. There was no physical confrontation between the two men prior to the shooting, and Patruno was not armed.
Following the shooting, Quintero entered the gas station, informed the clerk he was turning himself in, and emptied his pockets, placing a chrome revolver on the counter. Police arrived and took him into custody without incident. While being placed in a patrol vehicle, Quintero made statements such as, 'I don't know why this happened, dog, I'm sorry,' and 'Satan is evil.' He was booked into Maricopa County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, as he had a prior criminal record that included convictions for burglary, aggravated assault, and misconduct involving weapons.
Eduardo Quintero ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and misconduct involving weapons. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the seemingly random and unprovoked killing of Joseph Patruno.
