Las Vegas man shot by police had threatened to go on ‘killing spree’

By Ana Ley

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 | 7:10 p.m.

A man who was fatally shot by officers Saturday morning had told his parents that he was “going on a killing spree,” Undersheriff Jim Dixon said today.

Patrick Heki, 26, was reportedly suicidal and carrying firearms when his mother called 911 shortly before 2 a.m. from their apartment in the 3900 block of Mountain Vista Street. Dispatchers could hear Heki telling his parents that he would die that morning, and at one point he allegedly said that “it’s a good night to start killing,” Dixon said during a press conference this morning.

His mother reportedly asked Heki to put down a weapon before whispering the family’s apartment number into the telephone.

Dispatchers tracked the location of the call and sent police to Heki’s home. Three responding officers heard gunfire inside, and as they approached the apartment Heki reportedly walked out through a breezeway, still firing his weapon.

He was wearing a camouflage jacket and had two rifles slung over his shoulders.

The officers — identified as Paul Kunz, Justin Marzec and Joshua Giese — took cover and ordered him to drop the weapons, but Heki instead aimed a .40 caliber Glock handgun at them, Dixon said.

Kunz, Marez and Giese opened fire simultaneously, striking Heki before giving him first aid. He was rushed to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, where he later died.

Metro Police said at least one of Heki’s rounds traveled into a neighboring apartment, narrowly missing a mother and her 1-year-old daughter. Two bullet holes pierced the front door of the neighbors’ home.

Kunz, 28, and Marzec, 29, have been with Metro since 2007. Giese, 28, has been with the department since 2006.

Each was placed on routine paid administrative leave pending a formal review of the shooting.