Why Andrew Engeldinger wasn't committed to a mental health facility

Parents of Andrew Engeldinger
Chuck and Carolyn Engeldinger, photographed Monday, Oct. 12, 2012 in the MPR News studio in St. Paul.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson

In October, MPR's Cathy Wurzer interviewed Chuck and Carolyn Engeldinger, parents of Andrew Engeldinger, the Accent Signage shooter who also took his own life.

Through that interview, we learned that Andrew Engeldinger suffered from mental illness and although he was never diagnosed, his parents suspected he had paranoid schizophrenia.

The interview garnished a lot of feedback from listeners. Many asked the question, "Why couldn't the Engeldingers have Andrew committed to a mental facility?"

To answer that question and others about mental health and the mental health system in Minnesota, Cathy Wurzer spoke with two experts in the field.

Sue Abderholden works with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, of Minnesota. Dr. Michael Farnsworth is a forensic psychiatrist and medical director of the South Central Community Based Initiative in Mankato.

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