'They didn't have to kill him:' Family's fury over death of 'depressed' teen who was shot '16 times' by police

• Joseph Jennings, 18, was shot outside a hardware store in Ottowa, Kansas
  
• His family said the teen, who suffered from depression and anxiety, had just been released from the hospital after trying to kill himself
• Police won't say whether Jennings was armed at the time
• His family says he was shot at least '16 times'
  

By Pedro Oliveira Jr. for MailOnline

Published: 12:36 EDT, 27 August 2014 | Updated: 14:07 EDT, 27 August 2014

An 18-year-old Kansas man with a history of mental issues has died after police fired several rounds at him outside a hardware store in Ottowa.

Family members say that Joseph Jennings, 18, had just been released from Ransom Memorial Hospital on Saturday night after he attempted suicide by swallowing some 60 pills.

Ottowa police were called to the parking lot of Orscheln Farm and Home for a report of a man with a gun — and found Jennings in a 'suicidal state,'  his family said.

The officers confronted Jennings and eventually shot him '16 times,' a relative told KCTV.

He was rushed to an Ottowa hospital but later died of his injuries.

Authorities have dodged questions about whether Jennings actually had a weapon and how many times he was shot.

Joseph Jennings, 18, was shot by police in Ottowa,  Kansas. His family says he suffered from depression and anxiety

Family members and relatives held a vigil at the hardware store parking lot where Jennings was shot over the weekend

His family says the teen suffered from depression and anxiety, and would at times have seizures.

His aunt, Brandy Smith, said Jennings was on a 'suicide mission' at the hardware store parking lot.

'I told them it is Joseph Jennings. He is suicidal. He is upset, don't shoot him,' Smith told KCTV.

'My husband was going to tackle him,' she added. 'He was within arms reach. They said to get back or they were going to shoot him.'

But by then it was too late. Smith told The Star that her nephew made gestures that looked like he was reaching for a gun — and the shooting began.

'They didn’t have to shoot and kill him,' the aunt told The Star. 'Nobody deserves this.'

At least one of the officers involved in the shooting had transported Jennings to the hospital during Jennings' suicide attempt, she said.

'They knew him — they dealt with him the day before,' Smith told the Kansas City Star.

She added, 'I was screaming at the top my lungs: ‘That’s Joseph Jennings! You know him, don’t shoot him!’

Relatives say that Jennings was smart, caring and loved animals. He graduated high school and was hoping to take professional welding courses

Jennings was shot in this parking lot near the Orscheln Farm and Home hardware store

Ottawa Police Chief Dennis Butler said the investigation is being handled by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and will then be referred to the county attorney to determine if any charges will be filed.

When reached by MailOnline on Tuesday, investigators and the local medical examiner's office cited an ongoing investigation and declined to comment.

'We mourn the loss of any life,' he told reporters, according to The Star. 'We extend our heartfelt condolences and compassion to the family of Mr. Jennings.'

'We are thankful that no police officers or sheriff’s deputies were injured while defending themselves from the potential threat of serious bodily harm.'

Jennings had been struggling recently and, minutes before his suicide attempt, he wrote an anguished message on Facebook.

'Tonight is the night goodbye everyone!!!!!' he wrote before swallowing as many as 60 pills, hoping to overdose.

Brandy Smith told reporters her nephew was 'suicidal' and she pleaded with cops to not shoot him in the seconds before he was blasted some 16 times

'It was truly a good ride! And I'm sorry for who I might of hurted (sic) and people that I may of (sic) offended. But I love all my family and I hope you don't hold this against me.

His sister Hope told Fox 4 that Jennings was raised by foster parents and 'didn't have the best childhood growing up.'

'His dad wasn’t there. His mom she was never there,' she told the station. 'He got taken away from her and it was probably for the best.'

Friends and family visited the scene of the shooting on Monday to remember Jennings, leaving balloons, candles and pictures in a makeshift memorial.

His father and some friends revved their motorcycle engines 18 times, one for each of the teen's years, Fox 4 reported.

His family said Jennings was an avid animal lover. They added he was a smart and caring young man who graduated high school and was planning on going to welding school, The Star reported.