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Report: Fort Hood shooter’s higher-ups couldn’t have seen it coming
A soldier who shot up a Texas Army base in April had nothing in his background that would account for him committing such acts of violence, according to a 110-page redacted Department of Defense report released Friday.
The Army investigation into the background, medical or military profiles of Spc. Ivan Lopez-Lopez didn’t offer any early indicators of the soldier’s shooting spree at Fort Hood, which ended in the death of three people and the wounding of 12 others, The Army Times reported.
Lopez-Lopez, 34, moved from building to building across the base with a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber handgun and – once confronted by military police – fatally shot himself at about 4:25 p.m. on April 2.
That day, Lopez-Lopez was dealing with administrative issues involving he and his family’s move to the base. The soldier complained that his apartment had been burglarized and he was attempting to secure a new one. His request form for time off was returned to him for correction three times, which was a significant source of stress, the investigation found.
Lopez-Lopez went home and retrieved his gun, telling his wife he was going shooting after work. He returned to the base administration building and after an argument with a clerk, fired the first shot.
According to the report, the soldier’s command was not at fault for failing to recognize any signs that could have indicated Lopez-Lopez would strike.
The investigation – conducted by Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh – did, however, note that the soldier was being treated for several medical conditions, including depression, and that his unit was undergoing “high operational tempo” and “manning shortages” when he initially transferred to Fort Hood.
Lopez-Lopez also changed his religious preference to atheist after the recent deaths of his mother and grandfather, which could have indicated he was undergoing a “spiritual crisis.”
Investigators interviewed 169 witnesses at forts Hood, Bliss, Leonard Wood, Carson, Stewart and Drum and also reviewed documents and gathered briefings from nine subject matter experts in a variety of relevant fields, according to the report.
The post Report: Fort Hood shooter’s higher-ups couldn’t have seen it coming appeared first on Guns.com.
Source: http://www.guns.com/2015/01/26/report-fort-hood-shooters-higher-ups-couldnt-have-seen-it-coming/
