A deadly confrontation unfolded in the 1600 block of Pleasant Street in Adel, Iowa, Monday night, leaving a 26-year-old man dead and his father wounded, according to the man’s mother, who said the violence followed a worsening mental health crisis.

Mental Health Crisis

Annalissa Bohrn said her son, David Ocasio, had been “severely depressed” before the shooting. She said the family sought help by calling a hotline at Iowa Lutheran Hospital but was told he would have to check himself in voluntarily.

Bohrn said she quickly realized her son’s condition was deteriorating. “He did not look like himself,” she said. “It just got to the point where I had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom. And then I heard shots being fired. I locked the door, and I called 911.”

Adel police have not publicly detailed what happened inside the home Sunday night. Bohrn said she did not witness the shooting itself, but believes her son shot her husband, Josh Bohrn.

Authorities have not said when David Ocasio was shot or under what circumstances. He died from his injuries. Josh Bohrn was hospitalized and is recovering, according to his wife.

Bohrn said her grief is compounded by the belief that more effective mental health intervention might have changed the outcome. “There has to be some sort of advocacy done for mental health, for people that are reaching out for help, or for the families who are trying to reach out for help,” she said.

The Adel Police Department is being assisted in the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The shooting remains under investigation.

Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.