minutes but tonight we go indepth. people have been so kind to me. they reach out and they don t understand sometimes that i ve got to be left alone. because i have to focus on the good things. you know, but these pictures and the facebook page that was set up for gus. there are so many good pictures and so many good memories. that s what i have to focus on. i m determined that gus not be remembered just for his illness or what ended his life. i mean, that s nothing. he was such a good boy. a good man. he had a good heart. he loved people. gus was senator deeds only son and was loved deeply by a father who tried to do everything he could to get his son the help he needed. but the system, he says, failed his son. he is speak out because he wants you to know about the boy he
loved and a young man with a bright future, a future taken away by mental illness. early in the morning on november 19th police received a 911 call about a violent attack on state senator criegh deeds. he was stabbed around his head and torso with multiple slashes across his face. the attack happened on deeds property just outside his home. the assault was shocking enough but the identity of the attacker was beyond comprehension. it was deeds son, gus, who turned a gun on himself after the attack. senator deeds son, gus deeds, age 24, was found inside the residence suffering from life threatening injuries associated with a gunshot wound. despite efforts a it the residence he died at the scene. senator deeds was found by a cousin on the highway in front
custody without a bed. the next morning gus attacked his father. since the attack three area hospital confirmed they had beds available but no one called them to check. criegh deeds still lives at the same house where the attack happened just over two months ago. he is mostly recovered from his injuries show he is visibly scarred and returned to his seat at the state senate with a new purpose, mental health reform in virginia to fix the system that failed him and failed his son. that s the motivation for the state senator. and the need for reform extends far beyond virginia. there is so much stigma about mental illness in this country. tonight we want you to hear criegh deeds. we want you to hear about the son that he loved, the son he lost and the pain that too many families face often all alone. what do you want people to
ac360 later starts right now. good evening we interview criegh deeds of virginia. and with three years left in his second term will it be president obama s last chance to shape his agenda. and what is it like aboard the nightmare cruise ship where only the germs appear to be going first class? this afternoon i was in richmond, virginia speaking with a father whose face and body bear the marks of a nearly fatal attack that occurred two months ago. criegh deeds was slashed and stabbed and almost killed by his mentally ill son gus who then took his own life. he talked about it on 60 minutes but tonight we go indepth. people have been so kind to me. they reach out and they don t understand sometimes that i ve got to be left alone. because i have to focus on the good things. you know, but these pictures and the facebook page that was set up for gus. there are so many good pictures and so many good memories. that s what i have to focus on. i m determined that gus not be remembered ju
before the break we were talking to virginia state senator criegh deeds about the son that he loved and the help he tried to get for gus. and in part two of our conversation he describes what happened next. when he came home with you that night knight? that night, i stopped for gas. and i said bud, i m going to get something to drink, a bottle of pop and a candy bar. can i get you anything? he liked coke and he liked he wanted a snickers bar. and down the road i thought we don t really have anything to eat at the house. why don t i stop and get a sandwich. i thought if i could get him in the restaurant that would defuse the situation and allow us time to talk. but he didn t want to come in the restaurant. i got a sandwich and he ate a lot of it on the way home. when we got home, i sat at one