The mother of a British man who allegedly snatched a police officer's gun at a rally for Donald Trump fears her son may try to take his own life.
Michael Sandford has been charged with disrupting an official function and illegal firearm possession in the US.
If found guilty, the 20-year-old faces up to 30 years in prison.
Lynne Sandford told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she is concerned for her son, from Dorking in Surrey, as he has previously attempted suicide.
She added that Mr Sandford has experienced mental health difficulties from a young age and consistently struggled with his finances while abroad.
Court research showed he was unemployed, living out of his car and in the US illegally.
Ms Sandford said that conversations with him were often "erratic" while he was in the US.
She would go from hearing nothing from him to receiving 10 calls a day. In conversations he would refuse to answer questions about what he had been doing or his lifestyle, she added.
'World fell apart'
"Next thing I knew, on 18 June, I was woken at midnight by a call from the Foreign Office - it shocked me," Ms Sandford explained.
"They said he had been arrested. My world fell apart, I was shaking head-to-foot and burst into tears. I couldn't believe it."
According to court documents, Mr Sandford told the secret service that he had driven to the rally in Las Vegas from California in order to kill Mr Trump and he had been to a gun range the day before to practise shooting.
He also said he expected to die in the attempt, which he had been planning for a year.
Ms Sandford told Victoria Derbyshire: "He had never mentioned politics in any way in his entire life and never taken an interest in politics."
The Foreign Office said in a statement: "We have offered advice and information to the family in this case and will continue to do so. We remain in contact with Mr Sandford's legal representatives and have submitted a request to visit him."
The Federal Bureau of Prisons says it works to provide education to staff and inmates on suicide prevention.
The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays from 09:00-11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
Source:bbc.com
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