Flowers decorate a fence outside of Fort Hood's east gate on Sunday, April 6, 2014, in Killeen, Texas, in honor of those killed and wounded in the Fort Hood shooting on April 2. Tamir Kalifa/AP
Army Establishes Fort Hood Timeline, Still Has No Clear Motive
Shooter may have been frustrated over a leave of absence he had requested.
On Monday, Army officials released a detailed timeline of Specialist Ivan Lopez’s eight-minute shooting spree, which left three soldiers dead and 16 other people wounded. Investigators have not yet definitively settled on a motive for Lopez’s actions, however.
"We have not confirmed a definitive motive, but are doing everything possible to do so. We are considering all credible information and evidence to include social and digital media aspects of the case," U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey said. He added, "We have not uncovered any history of criminal convictions or previous criminal activity by Specialist Lopez." The best inference currently is that Lopez was frustrated over a leave of absence he had requested.
According to the Army’s official timeline, Lopez initially opened fire at the 49th Transportation Battalion Headquarters, killing one soldier and wounding 10. He then got into his vehicle and slowly proceeded down 73rd Street, firing at two soldiers and wounding one of them. He then entered the Motor Pool Office, shooting one soldier and wounding two others. Afterwards, driving back down Motor Pool Road, he fired at another vehicle, wounding one passenger. Lopez then headed to the Medical Brigade Headquarters, wounding one soldier outside, and killing one soldier inside and wounding another. Finally, he drove to a parking lot where, upon being fired upon by Fort Hood Police, he turned his .45 caliber handgun on himself.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend a memorial service for the three soldiers killed in the attack on Wednesday.