US soldier Travis King was “breaking down” over a family tragedy before he defected to North Korea while staring down disciplinary action Tuesday, according to a relative.

King’s uncle Carl Gates said the soldier began struggling as Gates’ son, King’Nazir, grappled with SPTLC 2, a genetic condition so rare that it does not have an official name.

“When my son was on life support, and when my son passed away…Travis started [being] reckless [and] crazy when he knew my son was about to die,” Gates told The Daily Beast of King, 23.

[That is tragic. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but it does raise questions as to whether anyone intervened to deal with the situation before this week. King has been a disciplinary problem for months, well before his cousin passed away, according to this report. — Ed]