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| Fort Hood shooter showed no ‘sign of any likely violence,’ Army secretary says | Fort Hood shooter showed no ‘sign of any likely violence,’ Army secretary says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The soldier who went on a shooting rampage Wednesday at Fort Hood, Tex., had been undergoing treatment for depression and had seen a psychiatrist last month, but Army officials said Thursday they did not consider him a threat before he killed three fellow soldiers and took his own life. | The soldier who went on a shooting rampage Wednesday at Fort Hood, Tex., had been undergoing treatment for depression and had seen a psychiatrist last month, but Army officials said Thursday they did not consider him a threat before he killed three fellow soldiers and took his own life. |
| In an afternoon news conference, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the commanding general of Fort Hood, officially identified the shooter as Army Spec. Ivan A. Lopez, 34, who he said had a medical history indicating an “unstable psychiatric or psychological condition.” | |
| “We believe that to be the fundamental underlying causal factor,” Milley said. He said there were “strong indications” that the immediate trigger for the shooting spree may have been “a verbal altercation with another soldier or soldiers.” | |
| “At this point we have not yet ruled out anything whatsoever,” Milley said. However, he added, “we have no indications at this time of any link to a terrorist organizations of any type, either national or international.” Nor is there any indication that Lopez was targeting specific people, he said. | |
| “There were several instances here of clear heroism,” Milley said of the response to the shooting. He cited a female military police officer who “engaged” Lopez before he fatally shot himself in the head, as well as an Army chaplain who “shielded and saved other soldiers,” then broke windows and got them to safety. Neither has yet been identified. | “There were several instances here of clear heroism,” Milley said of the response to the shooting. He cited a female military police officer who “engaged” Lopez before he fatally shot himself in the head, as well as an Army chaplain who “shielded and saved other soldiers,” then broke windows and got them to safety. Neither has yet been identified. |
| Earlier, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said the shooter had been prescribed “a number of drugs,” including Ambien, a sleep aid. After giving the soldier a full psychiatric evaluation last month, Army officials detected no indications “that there was any sign of likely violence, either to himself or to others,” McHugh told a Senate panel Thursday. | Earlier, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said the shooter had been prescribed “a number of drugs,” including Ambien, a sleep aid. After giving the soldier a full psychiatric evaluation last month, Army officials detected no indications “that there was any sign of likely violence, either to himself or to others,” McHugh told a Senate panel Thursday. |
| “The plan forward was to just continue to monitor and treat him as deemed appropriate,” McHugh added. | “The plan forward was to just continue to monitor and treat him as deemed appropriate,” McHugh added. |
| He said the investigation was still unfolding and did not comment on a possible motive. But he echoed other Army leaders in saying there was no evidence the shooter was “involved with extremists of any kind.” | He said the investigation was still unfolding and did not comment on a possible motive. But he echoed other Army leaders in saying there was no evidence the shooter was “involved with extremists of any kind.” |
| Military and law enforcement officials said Lopez was a military truck driver. He was dressed in his standard-issue camouflage uniform when he abruptly pulled out a .45 Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol Wednesday afternoon and opened fire in two different buildings on the vast Army post in central Texas. | |
| In addition to the three dead, 16 soldiers were reported injured, at least three of them critically. | |
| Paying tribute to the victims, President Obama said Thursday: “During the course of a decade of war, many have served multiple tours of duty. To see the unspeakable senseless violence happening in a place they were supposed to feel safe, home base, is tragic.” He vowed to “stand with the wounded,” adding: “We will make sure we do everything in our power to keep the troops safe, not just on the battlefield, but when they come home.” He made the remarks during a White House event honoring the U.S. Winter Olympic team. | Paying tribute to the victims, President Obama said Thursday: “During the course of a decade of war, many have served multiple tours of duty. To see the unspeakable senseless violence happening in a place they were supposed to feel safe, home base, is tragic.” He vowed to “stand with the wounded,” adding: “We will make sure we do everything in our power to keep the troops safe, not just on the battlefield, but when they come home.” He made the remarks during a White House event honoring the U.S. Winter Olympic team. |
| One of those killed, Timothy Wayne Owens, was shot five times at close range in a parking lot as he attempted to calm the enraged gunman, Owens’s mother said Thursday. | One of those killed, Timothy Wayne Owens, was shot five times at close range in a parking lot as he attempted to calm the enraged gunman, Owens’s mother said Thursday. |
| Mary Muntean said her son was a counselor at Fort Hood and had served in the Army for nearly a decade, with previous tours of duty in Iraq and Kuwait. In a telephone interview from her home in Effingham, Ill., she said there was no indication that Owens was familiar with Lopez. “He counseled hundreds of people,” Muntean said. Her account, which Muntean said was related to her by Owens’s wife, could not immediately be confirmed. | Mary Muntean said her son was a counselor at Fort Hood and had served in the Army for nearly a decade, with previous tours of duty in Iraq and Kuwait. In a telephone interview from her home in Effingham, Ill., she said there was no indication that Owens was familiar with Lopez. “He counseled hundreds of people,” Muntean said. Her account, which Muntean said was related to her by Owens’s wife, could not immediately be confirmed. |
| A spokesman for the Lopez family, Glidden Lopez, 26, said in a telephone interview from Puerto Rico that family members were horrified and shocked by the news. For now, the family has remained isolated, trying to grasp how Ivan Lopez, whom they knew as a sweet, music-loving boy, could have perpetrated the shooting rampage. | A spokesman for the Lopez family, Glidden Lopez, 26, said in a telephone interview from Puerto Rico that family members were horrified and shocked by the news. For now, the family has remained isolated, trying to grasp how Ivan Lopez, whom they knew as a sweet, music-loving boy, could have perpetrated the shooting rampage. |
| “He was very happy, if a bit introverted,” said Glidden Lopez, who is not related to Ivan Lopez. “He has a very Christian, Catholic family, and one that is very musical.” He said Ivan Lopez was close to his parents, calling them regularly, and was devoted to his four children — two in Puerto Rico and two in Texas. | “He was very happy, if a bit introverted,” said Glidden Lopez, who is not related to Ivan Lopez. “He has a very Christian, Catholic family, and one that is very musical.” He said Ivan Lopez was close to his parents, calling them regularly, and was devoted to his four children — two in Puerto Rico and two in Texas. |
| The last time the family saw him was in November, when he came home for the funeral of his mother, whose sudden death had come as a shock. Ivan Lopez had been given only a few days’ leave, so he just had time to attend the burial before he had to return to Texas. | The last time the family saw him was in November, when he came home for the funeral of his mother, whose sudden death had come as a shock. Ivan Lopez had been given only a few days’ leave, so he just had time to attend the burial before he had to return to Texas. |
| “It was a difficult process for him to get leave to come home,” Glidden Lopez said. | “It was a difficult process for him to get leave to come home,” Glidden Lopez said. |
| The mass shooting immediately prompted flashbacks to another terrible day at Fort Hood. On Nov. 5, 2009, Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a psychiatrist who had been in contact with an al-Qaeda leader overseas, gunned down soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30. | The mass shooting immediately prompted flashbacks to another terrible day at Fort Hood. On Nov. 5, 2009, Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a psychiatrist who had been in contact with an al-Qaeda leader overseas, gunned down soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30. |
| Ever since, Defense Department officials have worked to bolster security and improve screening at bases across the country. Despite those efforts, insider attacks by people working for the military have persisted, frustrating military leaders and lawmakers alike. | Ever since, Defense Department officials have worked to bolster security and improve screening at bases across the country. Despite those efforts, insider attacks by people working for the military have persisted, frustrating military leaders and lawmakers alike. |
| In September, a government contractor who had been hearing phantom voices carried a shotgun into the Washington Navy Yard and methodically killed 12 people. That shooter, Aaron Alexis, a Navy veteran, had recently sought treatment for insomnia from Veterans Affairs medical centers. | In September, a government contractor who had been hearing phantom voices carried a shotgun into the Washington Navy Yard and methodically killed 12 people. That shooter, Aaron Alexis, a Navy veteran, had recently sought treatment for insomnia from Veterans Affairs medical centers. |
| When doctors asked Alexis if he had thoughts of harming himself or others, he said no. He was prescribed medicine for sleeplessness and anxiety, but, like Lopez, he was not labeled a potential threat. Nineteen days later, he carried out his attack. | When doctors asked Alexis if he had thoughts of harming himself or others, he said no. He was prescribed medicine for sleeplessness and anxiety, but, like Lopez, he was not labeled a potential threat. Nineteen days later, he carried out his attack. |
| Army officials said they were still trying to unravel a motive for Lopez’s attack. Investigators were questioning Lopez’s wife and searching their apartment in Killeen, the city that abuts the Army post. The couple were both natives of Puerto Rico, Army officials said. | Army officials said they were still trying to unravel a motive for Lopez’s attack. Investigators were questioning Lopez’s wife and searching their apartment in Killeen, the city that abuts the Army post. The couple were both natives of Puerto Rico, Army officials said. |
| Lopez grew up in the town of Guayanilla, on Puerto Rico’s southwestern side. The town’s current mayor, Edgardo Arlequín, was the director of a local band for school children when Lopez joined. That was about 1990, the year that Lopez turned 11. | Lopez grew up in the town of Guayanilla, on Puerto Rico’s southwestern side. The town’s current mayor, Edgardo Arlequín, was the director of a local band for school children when Lopez joined. That was about 1990, the year that Lopez turned 11. |
| The mayor said that Lopez came from a musical family: his father and brother both played music in the local Catholic church. | The mayor said that Lopez came from a musical family: his father and brother both played music in the local Catholic church. |
| “Ivan was quiet . . . introverted, calm,” Arlequín said in Spanish in a telephone interview. He said he knew Lopez for several years and had never seen him show anger with another student. “Never. Never. I never saw him get in a fight.” | “Ivan was quiet . . . introverted, calm,” Arlequín said in Spanish in a telephone interview. He said he knew Lopez for several years and had never seen him show anger with another student. “Never. Never. I never saw him get in a fight.” |
| Lopez spent 10 years as a police officer in Puerto Rico and was still counted as an “inactive” member of the force while he served in the Army, a spokesman for the Puerto Rican police service said Thursday. | Lopez spent 10 years as a police officer in Puerto Rico and was still counted as an “inactive” member of the force while he served in the Army, a spokesman for the Puerto Rican police service said Thursday. |
| Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, described the shooter as “a very experienced soldier” who had served for nine years in the Puerto Rico National Guard before enlisting in the active-duty Army in 2010. | Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, described the shooter as “a very experienced soldier” who had served for nine years in the Puerto Rico National Guard before enlisting in the active-duty Army in 2010. |
| While with the National Guard, the shooter served a one-year deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. In 2011, after he joined the Army full-time, he served four months in Iraq and was one of the last U.S. troops to come home at the end of the war. | While with the National Guard, the shooter served a one-year deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. In 2011, after he joined the Army full-time, he served four months in Iraq and was one of the last U.S. troops to come home at the end of the war. |
| McHugh said there was no record that the shooter had been wounded or injured in Iraq. | McHugh said there was no record that the shooter had been wounded or injured in Iraq. |
| Milley, the Fort Hood commander, told reporters Wednesday night that the shooter had “self-reported” a traumatic brain injury from his Iraq deployment and that he was undergoing evaluation to determine if he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. | Milley, the Fort Hood commander, told reporters Wednesday night that the shooter had “self-reported” a traumatic brain injury from his Iraq deployment and that he was undergoing evaluation to determine if he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| Milley said the shooter “had behavioral health and mental health issues” and was taking antidepressants. “We are digging deep into his background,” he said. | Milley said the shooter “had behavioral health and mental health issues” and was taking antidepressants. “We are digging deep into his background,” he said. |
| Milley said in the Thursday afternoon news conference that “we are looking at all of the factors” that could explain the shooting, including financial, medical and personal relationship issues. | |
| He said he had no details on reports that Lopez was upset at having little time to attend his mother’s funeral, and he said it was “too early to tell” whether Lopez did not receive sufficient psychological help. | |
| Lopez had been stationed at Fort Hood only for several weeks. He arrived in February and was assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) as a truck driver. | Lopez had been stationed at Fort Hood only for several weeks. He arrived in February and was assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) as a truck driver. |
| He had previously been stationed at another Texas installation, Fort Bliss, for two years as an infantryman with the 1st Armored Division, 4th Brigade. According to a person familiar with his military service, he was taking medications while stationed at Fort Bliss to help with depression and anxiety, but his behavior did not raise any red flags. Because of privacy restrictions, his commanders were unaware of the medications he was receiving. | He had previously been stationed at another Texas installation, Fort Bliss, for two years as an infantryman with the 1st Armored Division, 4th Brigade. According to a person familiar with his military service, he was taking medications while stationed at Fort Bliss to help with depression and anxiety, but his behavior did not raise any red flags. Because of privacy restrictions, his commanders were unaware of the medications he was receiving. |
| Lopez had been experiencing some stress in his life; he had been seeing a chaplain for counseling regarding his mother’s death and other undisclosed issues, according to the person familiar with his military record. The military monitors people for stress levels, and Lopez was deemed to be “low risk” at the time. | Lopez had been experiencing some stress in his life; he had been seeing a chaplain for counseling regarding his mother’s death and other undisclosed issues, according to the person familiar with his military record. The military monitors people for stress levels, and Lopez was deemed to be “low risk” at the time. |
| He left Fort Bliss in November for several months of training to become a truck driver, then won an assignment with a truck-driving unit at Fort Hood, starting in February. | He left Fort Bliss in November for several months of training to become a truck driver, then won an assignment with a truck-driving unit at Fort Hood, starting in February. |
| In March, not long after his arrival at Fort Hood, Lopez legally purchased the .45-caliber Smith & Wesson from a Killeen gun shop, Guns Galore — the same store where Hasan bought the weapon he used in the 2009 Fort Hood rampage, according to two law-enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. | In March, not long after his arrival at Fort Hood, Lopez legally purchased the .45-caliber Smith & Wesson from a Killeen gun shop, Guns Galore — the same store where Hasan bought the weapon he used in the 2009 Fort Hood rampage, according to two law-enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. |
| About 4 p.m. Wednesday, Lopez began shooting. Officials, while stressing that they were still trying to determine the precise sequence of events, said he opened fire inside two different buildings: one belonging to the 1st Medical Brigade and another belonging to the 49th Transportation Battalion. In between, he fired shots from a vehicle he had driven onto the base. | About 4 p.m. Wednesday, Lopez began shooting. Officials, while stressing that they were still trying to determine the precise sequence of events, said he opened fire inside two different buildings: one belonging to the 1st Medical Brigade and another belonging to the 49th Transportation Battalion. In between, he fired shots from a vehicle he had driven onto the base. |
| He was eventually confronted by a female military police officer. He put his hands up at first, but then pulled out a gun from under his jacket and shot himself in the head, according to Milley, the Fort Hood commander. | He was eventually confronted by a female military police officer. He put his hands up at first, but then pulled out a gun from under his jacket and shot himself in the head, according to Milley, the Fort Hood commander. |
| Milley said investigators were looking into reports that the shooter may have gotten into an argument with another soldier, but he did not give details. | Milley said investigators were looking into reports that the shooter may have gotten into an argument with another soldier, but he did not give details. |
| Doctors at Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Tex., said Thursday that nine patients — eight men and one woman, all current service members — were admitted, three of them in critical condition. | |
| Matthew Davis, trauma director at the hospital, said later that the three were upgraded to serious condition Thursday after having stabilized overnight. He said four of the remaining six were discharged Thursday. The nine patients ranged in age from 21 to the mid-40s, he said. | |
| Davis said the three more severely wounded patients have injuries to the neck, abdomen and possibly the spine and that two of them require further surgery. | |
| Among the wounded was Maj. Patrick Miller, who had previously served in Iraq.His condition was not disclosed. | |
| Several of Miller’s Facebook friends posted messages asking for prayers for his recovery. His mother and wife took to Twitter asking for prayers. His wife tweeted directly to two football players on the Buffalo Bills, his favorite team, asking them to pray for her husband. | Several of Miller’s Facebook friends posted messages asking for prayers for his recovery. His mother and wife took to Twitter asking for prayers. His wife tweeted directly to two football players on the Buffalo Bills, his favorite team, asking them to pray for her husband. |
| “I have no doubt he’ll pull through because of who he is,” Robert Heckler of Brazoria, Tex., who served in Iraq with Miller from 2004 to 2005, said in a phone interview. “Man, that guy is one of a kind. Honestly, he’s a straight dude, he’s a cool dude.” | “I have no doubt he’ll pull through because of who he is,” Robert Heckler of Brazoria, Tex., who served in Iraq with Miller from 2004 to 2005, said in a phone interview. “Man, that guy is one of a kind. Honestly, he’s a straight dude, he’s a cool dude.” |
| Like many other soldiers and Army veterans, Heckler said he was stunned that the Army had been victimized by another insider attack. | Like many other soldiers and Army veterans, Heckler said he was stunned that the Army had been victimized by another insider attack. |
| “It happened at our home, at our house,” he said. “He was shot by another soldier. That’s a lot different than the Army I was in.” | “It happened at our home, at our house,” he said. “He was shot by another soldier. That’s a lot different than the Army I was in.” |
| Obama directed officials to “utilize every resource available to fully investigate the shooting,” the White House said Wednesday night. The president spoke in a conference call with his national security team, including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey and FBI Deputy Director Mark Giuliano. | Obama directed officials to “utilize every resource available to fully investigate the shooting,” the White House said Wednesday night. The president spoke in a conference call with his national security team, including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey and FBI Deputy Director Mark Giuliano. |
| Speaking during a fundraising trip to Chicago, Obama said he was “heartbroken that something like this might have happened again” and pledged “to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.” | Speaking during a fundraising trip to Chicago, Obama said he was “heartbroken that something like this might have happened again” and pledged “to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.” |
| At Guns Galore, which advertises that it has 3,000 guns in stock and 1,700 on display, general manager Cathy Cheadle said she could not comment because of the investigation. | At Guns Galore, which advertises that it has 3,000 guns in stock and 1,700 on display, general manager Cathy Cheadle said she could not comment because of the investigation. |
| But a part-time sales clerk, a retired police sergeant who gave his name only as Ebert, said, “We are religiously in compliance with state and federal law — to the point where we have pissed some people off.” He added: “We have refused gun sales before. It’s based on the little voice inside your head that says it’s not a good idea. . . . We have done good things since we’ve been here. We do whatever needs to be done to keep the community safe.” | But a part-time sales clerk, a retired police sergeant who gave his name only as Ebert, said, “We are religiously in compliance with state and federal law — to the point where we have pissed some people off.” He added: “We have refused gun sales before. It’s based on the little voice inside your head that says it’s not a good idea. . . . We have done good things since we’ve been here. We do whatever needs to be done to keep the community safe.” |
| On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid said Thursday that Congress should revisit the issue of expanding the federal gun background check program in response to the latest shooting spree at Fort Hood. | On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid said Thursday that Congress should revisit the issue of expanding the federal gun background check program in response to the latest shooting spree at Fort Hood. |
| “As I was told today, this young man bought his gun a day or two before he killed these people,” Reid told reporters. “Couldn’t we at least have background checks so that people who are ill mentally, or who are felons, shouldn’t be able to buy guns? Even NRA members, a majority of them, support that, so I hope we can bring it back up.” | “As I was told today, this young man bought his gun a day or two before he killed these people,” Reid told reporters. “Couldn’t we at least have background checks so that people who are ill mentally, or who are felons, shouldn’t be able to buy guns? Even NRA members, a majority of them, support that, so I hope we can bring it back up.” |
| When asked whether he would like to bring up a bill to expand the background check program, Reid said, “I would like to be able to bring it back up; I need some more votes.” | When asked whether he would like to bring up a bill to expand the background check program, Reid said, “I would like to be able to bring it back up; I need some more votes.” |
| But Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Tex.) called on Congress to end a ban on carrying weapons at U.S. military bases. In a statement, he charged that the latest shooting occurred “because our trained soldiers aren’t allowed to carry defensive weapons.,” adding: “Anti-gun activists have turned our military bases into soft targets for killers.” | But Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Tex.) called on Congress to end a ban on carrying weapons at U.S. military bases. In a statement, he charged that the latest shooting occurred “because our trained soldiers aren’t allowed to carry defensive weapons.,” adding: “Anti-gun activists have turned our military bases into soft targets for killers.” |
| Although installations such as Fort Hood contain large storehouses of armaments, and many of their inhabitants have spent years at war, military posts are usually among the most idyllic communities in the country, a throwback to the 1950s, with manicured lawns, drivers who conscientiously abide by the speed limit and parents unafraid to allow their children to frolic out of sight. | Although installations such as Fort Hood contain large storehouses of armaments, and many of their inhabitants have spent years at war, military posts are usually among the most idyllic communities in the country, a throwback to the 1950s, with manicured lawns, drivers who conscientiously abide by the speed limit and parents unafraid to allow their children to frolic out of sight. |
| Encompassing 340 square miles, Fort Hood is larger than the five boroughs of New York combined. But most of the area is open terrain, used for tank and artillery practice. Many of the post’s facilities are concentrated on its southern perimeter, near its gates to the city of Killeen. The facilities include the headquarters for III Corps, which is comprised of two full divisions and support regiments. More than 40,000 service members work on the post, which has about 6,000 family residences. | Encompassing 340 square miles, Fort Hood is larger than the five boroughs of New York combined. But most of the area is open terrain, used for tank and artillery practice. Many of the post’s facilities are concentrated on its southern perimeter, near its gates to the city of Killeen. The facilities include the headquarters for III Corps, which is comprised of two full divisions and support regiments. More than 40,000 service members work on the post, which has about 6,000 family residences. |
| In the wake of the Navy Yard shooting, Hagel ordered a series of security changes at military installations, including more rigorous screening of personnel and the creation of an analysis center to examine “insider threats.” | In the wake of the Navy Yard shooting, Hagel ordered a series of security changes at military installations, including more rigorous screening of personnel and the creation of an analysis center to examine “insider threats.” |
| “When we have these kinds of tragedies on our bases, something’s not working,” he said Wednesday during a visit to Hawaii. “We will continue to address the issue. Anytime you lose your people to these kinds of tragedies, it’s an issue, it’s a problem.” | “When we have these kinds of tragedies on our bases, something’s not working,” he said Wednesday during a visit to Hawaii. “We will continue to address the issue. Anytime you lose your people to these kinds of tragedies, it’s an issue, it’s a problem.” |
| Shelby Sementelli in Killeen, Tex.; Ernesto Londoño in Hawaii; and Sari Horwitz, David Fahrenthold, Clarence Williams, William Branigin, Colby Itkowitz, Ed O’Keefe and Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report. | Shelby Sementelli in Killeen, Tex.; Ernesto Londoño in Hawaii; and Sari Horwitz, David Fahrenthold, Clarence Williams, William Branigin, Colby Itkowitz, Ed O’Keefe and Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report. |