Irene is a widow with cancer who lives with her almost 18-year-old son Joe who has schizophrenia in the San Gabriel Valley of southern California. Joe is a former star student and swimmer, whose schizophrenia symptoms worsen. He has been seeing a therapist and is on medication to help with his symptoms, but he hides the fact that he isn't taking his pills from Irene. Irene also hides her cancer diagnosis from Joe. Joe has more frequent episodes with bursts of violence and eventually self-harms. One day, Irene finds Joe's laptop open with browser tabs on school shooting events. Since Joe is turning 18 soon, Irene won't be his legal guardian after that and will have almost no legal control over him. Fearing the worse, she takes matter into her own hands. Loosely based on a true story.