As questions linger in the wake of a terrifying shooting spree in Dallas, Texas, the media has turned to the family of accused shooter James Boulware for answers. Boulware’s father, Jim, spoke to CNN in a tearful interview, explaining his perception of the underlying factors that led up to the violent incident. The elder Boulware expressed some degree of sympathy with police while decidedly shifting the blame to the political convictions of those in other roles.

“He blamed them [police] for taking his son,” Boulware said of his deceased son, James, in the CNN video segment. “I tried to tell him, ‘The police didn’t do it. The police were doing their job to enforce the laws. If you want to get to that, you’ve got to go back to the liberal people that put these laws in place to where CPS [Child Protective Services] can grab kids away from them.'”

Also in the interview, Jim Boulware downplayed reports regarding his son’s history of violence against family members. Despite the fact that previous domestic violence charges were eventually dropped against his son, Boulware said that the allegations prevented his son from securing employment. When asked why James Boulware did not seek help for his various and sundry predicaments, Jim Boulware implied that his son was at a disadvantage due to his race and gender.

“Where?” Jim Boulware asked the reporter. “Where does a white male get help?”

Although the interviewer didn’t respond to Jim Boulware’s ostensibly rhetorical question, it’s worth noting that the Dallas/Fort Worth area has an extensive network of social service agencies and organizations, including The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Community Council of Greater Dallas, and Mental Health America of Greater Dallas.

As previously reported by Inquisitr, James Boulware’s mother, Jeannie Hammond, issued a statement after the attack in which she expressed sympathy for those affected by her son’s alleged actions. NBC News Dallas/Fort Worth reports that James Boulware was previously arrested in 2013 for allegedly assaulting his mother and choking his uncle to the point of unconsciousness. In a statement, Hammond acknowledged that her son had a history of mental illness and “heard voices.”

Jim Boulware’s politicized critique of public resources and policies notwithstanding, it’s clear that James Boulware struggled with many issues in his life, ultimately embarking on an unfortunate path that could have proven even more tragic when considering a number of alternate outcomes. While the people of Dallas will surely pause for reflection in the aftermath of such a tragedy, hopefully there will be more soul searching and less blaming in the days and weeks to come.

[Photo via Dallas Morning News]