I am Sonya Davidson mother of Vauclan Thomas (25). We are from Chicago, IL.

On February 20, 2021, my son began experiencing his first noticeable symptoms of psychosis. He has never been previously diagnosed with mental illness or exhibited any behavior suggesting evaluation should be taken. It was 3:26pm, and my daughter was headed to her father's house because he agreed to drive her and her brother plus a couple of friends to dinner to celebrate her birthday. (It is important to note that my daughter lives with me and my son lives with their dad). Coming from her makeup appointment, she hopped in the Uber and texted her brother that she was on the way. He responded very aggressively, urging her not to come. Confused, she asked, "Why?". He claimed he could not say, but was very adamant about her going back to my house , so she changed the Uber destination and came home without further questioning.

As she walked in the door, she informed me about his strange behavior. We both concluded something was wrong, but didn't quite know just what. I called him on FaceTime and was bombarded with more of the same aggression, along with statements that did not seem to make sense. He claimed that his dad had a son he never told them about. According to my son, that son is rapper NBA YoungBoy. (Keep in mind, this is his psychosis speaking. When in this deluded state, his mind tells him things that are not true). We call dad and catch him up to speed. He told us that upon his arrival home, the entire living room was in disarray and his glass table, completely shattered. My son was the culprit.

At this time, Vauclan was not home. He left to rent a car because he assumed his dad would not make it back in time to take them to dinner. It was not long before my son returned. He burst into the house and pulled a gun on his dad. (Vauclan posses a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card). Although not in the same home, my daughter and I overheard everything on the phone as it took place. Thankfully, no shots were fired, and my son went outside to sit in the car for a while. I called the police, but they were too late. My son had driven off before they arrived. We tried calling and texting, but he would not answer any of us. No one knew where he was.

The next day, February 21, my son contacts me. He had driven to Wisconsin for some reason. He asked for $100 to get a plane ticket to Canada because he believed rappers Drake and Lil Durk had one million dollars waiting on him (again, psychosis). I told him to come home, and he agreed, but never showed up.

On February 22, at 4:08am, Vauclan was arrested in Janesville, Wisconsin. Just to be clear, he does not, nor has he ever had a criminal record. My daughter received a FaceTime call from him at 9:14am, and spoke with a detective who filled her in. Due to my son’s delusions, he believed a snow plow was out to get him, and fired at it. There was a man inside, but luckily, he was not hit by the bullet. In addition, Vauclan believed he was the reincarnation of Michael Jackson, as well as the descendant of Egyptian pharaohs. I was also informed that the vehicle my son rented was stolen from Chicago Midway International Airport. Upon further investigation and reviewing of the surveillance footage, my son didn’t actually "steal" the car. He, somehow, convinced an employee that it was his, and they simply let him have it.

My son was evaluated to find out what the issue truly was. His toxicology report came back clean, so the psychosis is not drug induced. After further testing, we received the news that my son is experiencing symptoms of Schizophrenia. He is currently being held at a mental institution in Wisconsin, and is feeling better, although not fully back to himself. Even though my son has been deemed mentally ill and did not intend to harm the snow plow driver, he is now being charged with attempted homicide, and has been shipped to jail. My family and I need to raise money to afford an attorney to fight Vauclan's case. Any donation or even a share would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You All,
Sonya Davidson