Household says Omaha Goal taking pictures suspect struggled with psychological well being for years

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The uncle of the 32-year-old man who introduced a loaded AR-15 right into a west Omaha Goal retailer on Tuesday, tells 6 Information that the person struggled with psychological well being for years, and his household tried to get him assist.

“He was child, he was a sort child,” says Larry Derksen Jr. in an interview with 6 Information within the dwelling he shared together with his nephew, Joseph ‘Joey’ Jones.

Jones was killed Tuesday after firing a number of photographs contained in the Goal.

“I on no account, form, or type assume he had any intention of going into that retailer and hurting anyone.”

The group is aware of about Jones’ actions, however what they don’t know is his lengthy historical past of psychological well being points.

Derksen says Jones was a identified paranoid schizophrenic.

“It began about 3 years in the past. He got here to consider that the cartel was after him,” Derksen says.

On and off, Jones would pack up and drive to different states, ultimately returning when he ran out of cash. Derksen says he was having frequent episodes, and several other instances he bought or got here dwelling with weapons.

“The bottom guidelines have been when you’re staying right here you possibly can’t have a firearm,” Derksen says. “You must do the precise issues, medicine, alcohol, see a physician, get remedy. He tried to try this for some time however the voices don’t cease.”

His household did what they may to assist. In a single incident, Derksen says Jones demanded his gun again, and Derksen referred to as the police.

“I mentioned ‘hey my nephew is schizophrenic, he’s demanding his firearm I’m not giving it again to him,’ [but] they got here right here and by regulation, they have been required to truly give him again his firearm.”

After that, Jones left and was out and in of hospitals and amenities.

A number of months in the past, he drove to Kansas the place he was arrested after mendacity on the interstate. Derksen says Jones believed that the cartel would kill his household if he didn’t commit suicide. He was then positioned in one other psychological well being facility.

“Time and time once more, you recognize me and his grandmother have been making an attempt to petition to them, ‘hey, he wants some assist,’ and all they’ll actually do is put him within the hospital for 3 days, maintain him for 3 days, and provides remedy,” he says. “However while you’re in extreme psychological well being misery and have a analysis like him it wasn’t sufficient for him to get clear sufficient to make rational choices.”

Two weeks earlier than strolling into Goal, Derksen says Jones give up his jobs – which he cherished – and reported to the FBI that he was going through some form of harassment.

Final week, the FBI confirmed up at their duplex to speak with Jones.

“So right here you have got this lengthy historical past of this 32-year-old man who has a historical past of being schizophrenic and there’s no assist for him, no medical health insurance, nothing it’s essential to get remedy, nobody forcing him to do or get wholesome, after which we come to what occurred the opposite day and, it’s predictable.”

Derksen says he was out of city when jones bought the AR-15 4 days earlier than exhibiting up at Goal with it.

“We weren’t conscious that he had a firearm, if we have been then we’d’ve tried to take it from him or name regulation enforcement, however even at that, how will you buy a firearm after being hospitalized repeatedly for being a paranoid schizophrenic?”

Derksen says American methods are damaged, however additionally they don’t excuse Jones’ habits.

In a message to the group, Derksen hopes individuals perceive what Jones and their household have gone via.

“We damage as a household for the ache inflicted on everybody who was in Goal, we damage for the regulation enforcement officer who needed to make that alternative. We apologize for what occurred. We remorse what occurred and we consider the officer did what he needed to do,” he says. “I pray for the households which can be hurting. I hope that you simply all perceive that there’s a bigger drawback, there’s a psychological well being drawback. It’s not a gun drawback, in my view, it’s a psychological well being drawback. Till we tackle that drawback, we’re going to proceed to see issues like this occur.”

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