GERMANTOWN, Wis. — On Monday, Germantown police officers shot and killed a man at Kennedy Middle School.
Police said he was acting erratic before shooting at officers.
Family identified the man shot as 32-year-old Kevin Foy. He was from Lake Villa, Illinois, and was in Germantown on a work trip.
Family told us Foy served two tours in Afghanistan as an army combat. After he got out, his family said he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and showed little interest in getting help.
We talked with two vets who had similar experiences and said too many veterans are slipping through the cracks.
"I was actually looking at criminal charges, six years in prison, because at a family barbecue, I choked out my brother-in-law and father-in-law," Levi Markers said.
Markers served in Afghanistan too and is still suffering from PTSD. He said that event was within just six months of him getting out of the military.
"Where we come from, it's like I don't know how to cope. I'm either a danger to myself or to other people and I don't want to be that," Markers said.
Markers said he understands first-hand what was likely going on in Foy's head.
"They're still chasing the war and the war's chasing them," Markers explained.
Marine Corps Veteran Jorge Monterrey said he gets it too.
"It's another sad situation. Unfortunately, people slip through the cracks, through the system," Monterrey said.
Monterrey said Foy's desire to be alone and disregard for proper treatment is very common.
"When I got out of the Marine Corps, I went back home to Miami and I couldn't find work. It almost seemed like I was more of a liability than an asset to people," Monterrey added.
After years of treatment and support from local veterans, Monterrey and Markers are now giving back to other vets.
For Monterrey, it was openingDefense Combatives, a veteran-owned gym that focuses on self-defense.
"We're in your corner. Not just me, but all of us are in your corner. There's a legion of veterans out there that are willing to listen. We're a phone call away," Monterrey said.
A phone call or even a few taps on a mobile app.
Markers and his team at Dry Hootch, a veteran-based support group, are constantly creating new ways for vets to have peer support and mentorship.
Right now, they have multiple locations with different options for peer support and even a mobile app to have support virtually.
Markers is now one of their directors, but he first sought Dry Hootch out years ago during some of his darkest times.
"I had to do community service, 200 hours, and I walked in there... luckily there was another veteran that had served in Iraq and instantly we were able to make that connection," Markers said.
A connection Markers and Monterrey said no one understands except those who served.
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