An 80-year-old Arizona man is accused of shooting a door-to-door salesman in the back after first telling him to leave a gated Scottsdale community, then going inside his home, retrieving a handgun and later searching for him, according to police and court documents cited by LOCAL 12.
Patrick McBride was arrested after the Sunday afternoon shooting and now faces felony charges including aggravated assault causing serious physical injury, along with a weapons-related disorderly conduct charge.
The salesman, who had been offering window-washing services, was taken to a hospital in stable condition with a spinal injury and no feeling in his legs, according to the report.
McBride has claimed the shooting was self-defense.
Sales Pitch Turns Into Confrontation
LOCAL 12 reported that the salesman had been going door to door when he stopped at McBride’s home and asked for water.
McBride told investigators he became suspicious of the man and believed he was trespassing in the private community.
He told the salesman to leave.
At that point, the encounter could have ended there.
Instead, police say roughly 10 minutes later McBride went to a safe, took out a handgun and went looking for the salesman to make sure he had left the neighborhood.
That decision is likely to become central to the case because it shifts the timeline from an immediate confrontation at McBride’s home to a later encounter that police say happened after he armed himself and actively searched for the man.
Two Very Different Accounts of the Shooting
McBride told police that he later spotted the salesman riding an electric Segway and again told him to leave.
According to McBride’s account, the salesman approached him while holding up a cellphone, and the gun discharged when the two made contact.
The salesman told police something very different.
He said he was turning away to leave when McBride pulled out the gun and shot him in the lower back.
Those two versions are sharply at odds, and prosecutors will have to sort through physical evidence, witness statements and the location of the wound as the case moves forward.
Attorney Questions the Self-Defense Claim
After the shooting, McBride told police the salesman “made a move” at him and said he had been afraid the man might do something.
He also reportedly told officers, “He shouldn’t be in this neighborhood.”
Attorney Ben Taylor, speaking in the LOCAL 12 report, said the sequence described in court documents could make a self-defense argument difficult.
“The fact that this person went back into his house to retrieve a gun and then went walked outside to try to hunt the man down, that shows that you’re not really doing self-defense,” Taylor said.
Taylor also pointed out that even if the salesman had been trespassing or violating a no-solicitation rule, that alone would not justify shooting him.
“I mean, just because a person is trespassing on your property doesn’t give you the right to go out there and shoot them,” he said.
That distinction matters because the case involves two separate questions: whether the salesman should have been in the neighborhood and whether McBride’s response was legally justified.
Police Say McBride Picked Up the Casings
The report also described McBride’s actions immediately after the shooting.
Police say the salesman fell to the ground after being hit, and McBride told him to get up and leave.
McBride then told his wife to call an ambulance.
His wife reportedly used towels to apply pressure to the salesman’s wound while waiting for paramedics.
Meanwhile, court documents say McBride picked up the spent shell casings and put them in his pocket.
That detail could become relevant because investigators often pay close attention to what happens immediately after a shooting, particularly whether physical evidence was moved.
The report did not say McBride was charged separately with tampering with evidence.
Victim Suffered Serious Spinal Injury
The salesman was taken to the hospital in stable condition, but the injuries described in court documents were severe.
He had suffered a spinal injury and had no feeling in his legs.
LOCAL 12 did not report a later update on whether that condition improved.
The seriousness of those injuries makes the encounter much more than a dispute over solicitation or access to private property.
A man who was reportedly offering window-washing services and asking for water ended up hospitalized with potentially life-changing injuries.
Experienced Gun Owner Faces $150,000 Bond
McBride appeared before a Maricopa County judge the following day.
During the hearing, he described himself as an experienced gun owner.
According to the report, McBride had previously attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and had been a member of the Scottsdale Gun Club.
The judge set a secured appearance bond of $150,000.
McBride said he did not understand the bond amount but accepted that it was the judge’s decision.
The case will now move through the court system, where prosecutors will have to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
McBride is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The shooting began with a relatively ordinary confrontation over a salesman entering a gated neighborhood, but within minutes it had turned into a serious criminal case involving a gunshot wound, conflicting accounts and a victim facing major physical consequences.
For now, the most important unanswered questions will be resolved through the evidence presented in court rather than through either side’s initial account.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
