Margie Patton
Staff Writer
Three victims have been confirmed dead and sixteen wounded in the aftermath of the shocking shooting rampage that took place at the Fort Hood military post in Killeen, Texas on Wednesday afternoon . All of the victims were military personnel. At least three of the injured are in critical condition.
The 34-year-old shooter, identified as Specialist Ivan Lopez, took his own life after a confrontation with military police. The Army post’s commander, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley, told reporters that the gunman, an Iraq combat veteran, was being treated for mental health issues and was on medication. Milley also revealed that Lopez, who was married with a family, had suffered a “traumatic brain injury” in the past, but it was not incurred in the line of duty.
The general stated that there was currently no known motive for Lopez’s actions. He also said that, even though there was no indication that the shooting was related to terrorism, the investigation would “not rule anything out.”
According to Milley, Lopez had been armed with a .45-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that he had recently purchased. Initial reports claim that the shooting started as a soldier-on-soldier attack.
The lockdown on the base was lifted around 10 pm EST Wednesday night.
The tragic events Wednesday marked the second deadly attack at the base in recent history. In November of 2009 Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at the installation, killing thirteen and injuring thirty two.
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