BOLIVAR, Mo. (AP) - The parents of a southwest Missouri man accused of plotting attacks at a movie theater and Walmart store say they repeatedly struggled to find mental health care for their son.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that Bill and Tricia Lammers reflected on their struggles in the wake of the elementary school massacre in Connecticut.

Twenty-year-old Blaec Lammers was arrested last month after his mother told police she feared he was planning an attack. Authorities say Lammers told investigators he planned to open fire during a showing of the new “Twilight” film. He also talked about attacking a nearby Walmart in Bolivar, located about 130 miles southeast of Kansas City.

His parents say the mental health system has failed them and their son. Bill Lammers describe the system as “broken.”

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.