Look Who it Was Random video

Fort Hood shooting: gunman Ivan Lopez investigators focus on mental history

1,626 views · Published 3 May 2014 · 0:44 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: News Direct · 2014 · News & Politics

Watch on YouTube

An Iraq war veteran opened fire on late Wednesday (April 2) at Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing three people and injuring 16 others before turning his gun on himself.

The shooter, a 34-year old white male, was later identified as soldier Ivan Lopez, originally from Puerto Rico.

Investigators looking into the shooting believe Ivan Lopez's "unstable psychiatric and psychological condition" were probably the main causes of the incident.

The suspect served in Iraq from August to December 2011, where he drove trucks for the 13th Sustainment Command. He was reportedly suffering from anxiety and depression and being assessed to see if he had post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the attack, BBC reported. 

A Mother Jones investigation into the shooting highlighted that mental health issues are a major problem among Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

According to Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia, Lopez, who was very attached to his mother, was also devastated by her death in 2013 and furious at the Army for not allowing him to attend her funeral.

After the shooting, Lopez turned the gun on himself after he was confronted by a military police officer. According to the Los Angeles Times, he bought his weapon legally at the same store that supplied Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, who, on November 5, 2009, opened fire at the same military base, killing 12 soldiers and one civilian, and injuring 29 others.

During his military career, Lopez received nine medals from the Army: two commendation medals, four achievement medals and three good conduct medals, the Los Angeles Times reported.

More from this channel