http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-904436.mp3
Macomb, IL – Feburary 3, 2010 is what some Macomb residents will remember as the day of the Farm King Shooting. 19-year-old Jonathan Labbe of nearby Tennessee, Ill. entered the store at around 12:30 that afternoon, stole ammunition, loaded his rifle and took his own life.
Hundreds of people gathered at the crime scene that day, only to stand blocks away and watch emergency vehicles go in and out. Rumors swirled. People wondered who this person was, what he was like, and what could have caused him to snap.
Once in a great while, mental health care services are scrutinized - especially following tragedies such as this that, in hindsight, might have been prevented.
In our three part series "What Happened to Jonathan Labbe," Tri States Public Radio's Alex Degman takes a look at what it takes to get someone mental help in Illinois, specifically, McDonough County.
Sheriff Rick VanBrooker says many inmates in the McDonough County Jail are "in-between" when it comes to mental health issues. That is, they are not enough of a danger to themselves or others to warrant a court ordered mental evaluation, but their problems could be a cause of their recurring criminal tendencies. VanBrooker blames a lack of services due to a lack of state and federal funding. He says some in McDonough County might not be in jail if they got the help they needed.
So where does Jonathan Labbe fall in all of this? Degman explores how the system applied to Labbe.
To listen to the full series, click play on the audio link above.