In a lengthy segment on the CBS Evening News (6/4, story 7, 4:10, Pelley), CBS News correspondent Seth Doane followed one family’s struggle to help their “mentally ill child…prone to violence.” The Lammers family discussed how they tried everything to help their son Blake, who by the age of 18 had already been twice placed in a mental hospital for four-day stays. While doing the laundry, Blake’s mother found a receipt for an AR-15 assault weapon he had purchased legally. Because had never been committed by a court to a psychiatric hospital, his background check had revealed no record of his mental health history. When Blake revealed he had plans to use the assault weapon at a local movie theater, his mother turned him in. Blake, now 21, is in jail, currently facing three felony counts. While worried that he is not receiving the treatment he needs in jail, the Lammers family is thankful they were able to intervene before Blake could carry out his plan.
