Gunman Kills 3, Wounds 12 in Fort Hood Shootings

Associated Press-




The man behind Wednesday's deadly shooting at Fort Hood had mental health issues and was being treated for depression and anxiety before he killed three people and wounded 16 others.


Hours after the shooter opened fire, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas identified the suspected gunman as Spc. Ivan Lopez. However, officials did not say what might have motivated him to kill fellow soldiers and then himself
.
"We do know that this soldier had behavioral health and mental health issues and was being treated for that," said Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, head of the Army's III Corps at the Texas post.
Lopez was being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder, but had not yet been diagnosed for the illness.


Lopez, who was on medication, served four months in Iraq in 2011 and had "self-diagnosed" a traumatic brain injury. "He was not wounded in action, to our records," Milley said.
McHugh says the soldier was examined by a psychiatrist last month and was found to show no violent or suicidal tendencies. He says the soldier had been prescribed Ambien to deal with a sleeping problem.Army Secretary John McHugh, the U.S. Army's top civilian official, said the soldier did not see combat during his deployment. The shooter also appeared to have no connections to extremist groups, McHugh said.


Lopez enlisted in the Army in June 2008 as an infantryman and later switched his specialty to truck driver, the job he had in Iraq. Milley said Army officials were waiting to notify the man's family of his death before they released his name.