The suspect who opened fire on Pentagon this week has a history of mental illness, according to his family and friends.

People who are close to John Patrick Bedell are saying he was a troubled man who “sank deep into mental illness and anti-government rants.”

Reb Monaco, a friend of the family for three decades said, “The family tried over and over to get him into some kind of treatment, but because he was an adult, they were restricted. Patrick himself was in some sort of denial.”

Even Bedell’s mom, who’s a nursing instructor, tried to seek help for his son.

The reason as to why he opened fire on Pentagon remains a mystery. But searching him on the internet will reveal that he has distrust of the government and distaste for marijuana laws.

On Friday, his family said in a statement, “We may never know why he made this terrible decision. One thing is clear though — his actions were caused by an illness and not a defective character.”

Bedell was 36 years old. He was diagnosed as bipolar or manic depressive, and had been in and out of treatment programs for years.

(story & image from Yahoo News)