There were no early warning signs that could have tipped off Fort Hood that Army Spc. Ivan Lopez-Lopez was a security risk and would open fire on the base in April, killing three soldiers and wounding 12, according to Army investigators.
In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Lopez-Lopez experienced stressors that could have been red flags, including the death of a family member and financial difficulties. However, the base’s risk assessment of soldiers relies on them self-reporting any stressors they may be facing, according to the report released Friday on the investigation.
In addition, significant unit turnover and a high pace of operations may have prevented leaders from having “adequate time to train, mentor and lead,” missed interaction that could have provided unit leaders an opportunity to identify the stressors Lopez-Lopez was facing.
“In the absence of a system capable of identifying Lopez-Lopez as a threat, and because the unit was unaware and unable to address the variety of stressors in Lopez-Lopez’s life, Fort Hood was not able to prevent the shooting,” said Army Lt. Gen. Joseph E. Martz, who led the investigation.
