Omaha target shooting suspect has struggled with mental well being for years, loved ones says

OMAHA, Neb. (VOVT) – The uncle of a 32-year-old man who brought a loaded AR-15 into a west Omaha Target retailer Tuesday tells six News the man has struggled with mental well being for years and his loved ones has attempted to get him enable.

“He was a superior kid, he was a sort kid,” Larry Derksen Jr. tells six News in an interview at the household he shared with his nephew, Joseph “Joey” Jones.

Jones was killed Tuesday soon after firing many shots inside the target.

“In no way, shape, or type do I assume he had any intention of going into that retailer and hurting anyone.”

The neighborhood knows about Jones’ actions, but what they never know is his extended history of mental well being problems.

Derksen says Jones was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.

“It began about three years ago. “He started to think that the cartel was soon after him,” says Derksen.

From time to time, Jones would pack up and drive to other states, only to return when he ran out of funds. Derksen says he had frequent episodes​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ and many occasions he purchased guns or came household with guns.

“The ground guidelines have been if you stayed right here you could not have a firearm,” says Derksen. “You have to do the proper points, the drugs, the alcohol, see the medical doctor, get the medicine.” He’s been attempting for a when, but the voices will not quit.”

His loved ones did every thing they could to enable. In 1 incident, Derksen says Jones asked for his gun back, and Derksen named the police.

“I stated ‘hey, my nephew is schizophrenic, he’s hunting for his firearm, I am not going to give it back.’ [but] they came right here and by law they had to return his weapons.”

Right after that, Jones went in and out of hospitals and institutions.

A couple of months ago he drove to Kansas exactly where he was arrested soon after lying on the interstate. Derksen says Jones believed the cartel would kill his loved ones if he did not commit suicide. He was then placed in an additional mental well being facility.

“More than and more than once more, you know me and his grandmother attempted to inform them, ‘hey, he requirements enable,’ and all they can genuinely do is place him in the hospital for 3 days, retain him for 3 days, and give medicine,” he says. “But when you are in critical mental well being problems and have a diagnosis like his, it wasn’t adequate to make him clear-headed adequate to make rational choices.”

Two weeks prior to he walked into Target, Derksen says Jones quit his job — which he loved — and reported to the FBI that he was facing some sort of harassment.

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

“Right here you have this extended history of this 32-year-old man who has a history of schizophrenia and there is no enable for him, no well being insurance coverage, nothing at all you will need to get medication for, no 1 is forcing him to function or be healthful, and then we get to what occurred the other day and, it really is predictable.”

Derksen says he was out of town when Jones purchased the AR-15 4 days prior to he showed up at Target with it.

“We weren’t conscious he had a firearm, if we had we would have attempted to take it away from him or contact the police, but even so, how can you purchase a firearm soon after getting hospitalized many occasions for getting a paranoid schizophrenic?”

Derksen says America’s systems are broken, but they also never excuse Jones’ behavior.

In a message to the neighborhood, Derksen hopes men and women recognize what Jones and their loved ones went via.

“We hurt as a loved ones for the discomfort he triggered to everybody who was at Target, we hurt for the officer who had to make that option.” We apologize for what occurred. “We are sorry for what occurred and we think that the officer did what he had to do,” he says. “I pray for the households who have been hurt. I hope you all recognize that there is a larger dilemma, a mental well being dilemma. It really is not a gun problem, it really is a mental well being problem in my opinion. Till we address that dilemma, we’re going to continue to see points like this occur.”

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