Shooter Kills Three, Injures 16 at Fort Hood

KILLEEN, Texas—For the second time in five years, an active-duty soldier is believed to have gone on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, killing three people Wednesday at the U.S. Army post here and wounding 16 others before turning the gun on himself, officials said. The incident comes even as emotions remain raw from a 2009 shooting at the post that ended with 13 dead and more than 30 injured. Wednesday's rampage also marks the third time in the past seven months there has been a shooting at a U.S. military base. "There is no indication this incident is related to terrorism," Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley said at a news conference Wednesday night. He added that the suspect had served four months in Iraq in 2011 and had arrived at Fort Hood in February. Gen. Milley said the suspected shooter had exhibited symptoms of depression and anxiety, and was in the process of being diagnosed by military officials for potential post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms before the shooting. Officials didn't publicly name the suspect pending notice to next of kin, but people familiar with the situation identified him as Ivan Lopez, a soldier who worked as a truck driver. The shooting occurred in a motor-pool area of the base where vehicles are stored and repaired and in a medical administration building, said officials briefed on the matter. Gen. Milley said the shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. local time, and that "there are some initial reports that there had been an argument." He said a suspect opened fire with a handgun in a building on the base, then got into a car and drove to another building, where he fired more shots. The attack lasted about 15 minutes before military police and local responders arrived, exchanging fire with the suspect, who then shot himself, Gen. Milley said. The suspect was assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), nicknamed the "Lucky 13th"—a unit that assists troops in combat areas with supplies and services. He allegedly fired at fellow military personnel in an area of the post holding members of the 1st Medical Brigade, or "Silver Knights," who provide medical support. He was armed with a recently purchased .45-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic firearm, Gen. Milley said, which he hadn't registered to carry on the base. All of those wounded were members of the military, the general said. Law-enforcement officers responded to the shooting swiftly, Gen. Milley said. As the shooter walked toward a Military Police officer in a parking lot, he put his hands up, then reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun. The officer then pulled out her weapon, according to Gen. Milley. "Then he put the weapon to his head, and died of a self-inflicted gun wound," Gen. Milley said, adding that the Military Police officer demonstrated considerable courage. A lockdown at Fort Hood was lifted Wednesday evening after several hours. Sirens were sounding at the base at about 8:50 p.m. local time, and cars were streaming in and out of the facility as people stuck inside were finally able to leave.