Ft. Hood shooter had been denied leave day of rampage, source says

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 04-04-2014 | Richard A. Serrano

[PaulCruz2016]

When Army Spec. Ivan Lopez went on the shooting rampage Wednesday at Ft. Hood, Texas, killing three soldiers and injuring 16 others, he had just learned that superiors in Washington had rejected his request to take a temporary leave to deal with family matters related to his mother’s death, a federal law enforcement official said.

Officials had turned down an earlier leave request and Lopez was attempting to renew it, said the official, speaking anonymously because the investigation is ongoing.

The rejection, delivered Wednesday, set him off, the official said.

“He had put in for something regarding his mother's death and some other matters, and it was denied,” the official said. “Or it wasn't going to happen as quickly as he wanted it to.

“When they told him, he blew his top,” the official said.

[dfwgator]

Or he poured cereal into the bowl before checking if there was milk first.

[TMSuchman]

But his brain/mind were muddled by the meds & Army Admin. From what I can glean from the reporting he had tried to work with in the system, but some of the meds [specifically the SSRI’s ie Prozac] can make things very bad & magnify the problem/s you see. They warp your perspective on the world.

[Future Snake Eater]

Also, since when does any soldier need leave approval from a DA level authority?

They don't. This is some moron reporter writing about crap he doesn't understand.

[GOPJ]

They wouldn’t let him go home when his mother died? If we had a free press they could find out if a tranney has ever been denied the right to see his doctor... I’d like to know the priorities of our ‘armed’ (but not armed) services.

[Future Snake Eater]

You haven’t seen the new DA31?

“Approval Authority: First 4-star in your chain of command.”

[dfwgator]

I think they are planting these stories to hide the truth.

[deport]

The following article has a lot of info if anyone is interested:

Family
Gun
Combat
Medical
Work

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/02/us/fort-hood-shooter-profile/

[TADSLOS]

LOL. No wonder the Four Stars in DoD can’t lead effectively. They’re too busy reviewing leave requests in between attending transgender sensing sessions with Generalissimo Obama.

[longfellowsmuse]

death and the ensuing grief of a loved one affects everyone differently. to claim to know how death affects someone is narcissistic. Remember we are talking about a mentally ill man here.

the passage of months is not a long time to move through the grief process, it can take years. My mother died when I was only 17 years old and I was a mentally stable teenager and yet my grief lasted much more than “months”

Sounds as though this tragedy could have been prevented if the mental health professionals had been doing a little more than throwing pills at him, but that often the way psychiatry treats the mentally ill these days. The professionals handling his care should have known he was a danger to himself and others and had him hospitalized.

[Future Snake Eater]

Hey, it’s a busy job, that’s why they get paid the big bucks!

[longfellowsmuse]

The priorities of our “armed “ services are very often the personal priorities of the commanders in charge… hubby saw things in 13 years of active duty that have nothing to do with integrity and service before self….

[Don Corleone]

Maybe a reason but not an excuse

[mass55th]

"Or he poured cereal into the bowl before checking if there was milk first."

Maybe his Rice Krispies didn't go "Snap, Crackle and Pop, and it set him off.

[bert]

I call bs

You have no evidence

[Sarah Barracuda]

Oh poor baby he couldn’t get a leave of absence for one day, so he uses that opportunity to slaughter 3 innocent people..sick bastard..he was probably a whack job before he entered the military, he just used the military as an excuse for his behavior..I dont pity him at all, he’s a murderer, plain and simple

[Salamander]

I agree.

I was once a Navy wife and know how it goes.

[Salamander]

Now that right there is reason enough.

/s

[dfwgator]

I think the last time it happened to me, the whole neighborhood heard my cry of “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

[wideawake]

Oh, did his mom die again?

[batterycommander]

I’m betting that, since he was going to Puerto Rico (some consider an overseas foreign country), the Pentagon had to decide if he could go. Also, there are some anti-American commie elements in PR that Lopez may be a member of, and the Pentagon has to have knowledge of movements of such individuals.