Loser on Meds-what could go wrong?
In 20 years, they never turned down my husband for leave. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen but it does sound odd to me. Especially for a death.
Today’s story. Yesterday it said he “may have” had a dispute with another soldier - turned out he hadn’t, and it was just a government source speculating.
Nobody knows his Muslim name yet, but I’ll bet he had one. He had the shaved head and the faint beard in the one photo I saw of him. Most Muslim converts are mentally ill or socially dysfunctional.
Sure that’s the reason, and it just happened that day. Does anyone really believe that he hadn’t been planning it for some time?
Leave is approved at the local commanders level most likely his company commander.
I'm guessing he was waiting for the red cross to validate an emergency leave request related to his mother's death. If it wasn't recent, there would be no emergency it would just be regular leave.
This millenial had a hissy fit and killed 3 over that??
I saw another story where is mother was suffering his loss just after being re-united with a daughter. Is she really dead?
His mother died last year and they were only going to give him one day. They did change
that and he got two days.
Apparently he was attempting to schedule another leave. Here is a snip from CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/02/us/fort-hood-shooter-profile/
snip
Before the shooting, Lopez stopped at the base’s personnel office to pick up a leave form,
according to the father of one of the soldiers injured in the attack.
Theodis Westbrook, the father of Sgt. Jonathan Westbrook, told CNN affiliate WLBT that
his son was working in the office. When one of the other officers asked Lopez to come
back for the form the next day, he returned a short time later with a gun and opened
fire, Westbrook said.
end snip
Maybe a reason but not an excuse
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
Oh, did his mom die again?
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.
Denied leave? Good Lord, that was a regular occurrence when I served (USAF 1970-1974). EVERYONE who has ever served knew and knows that the #1 Rule is: The needs of the Service come first. We knew that and we accepted that. Oh, we may have been pissed off, but we accepted it.
what we’ve gleaned:
enlisted in PR national guard for 9 years. A post on another thread says he was on ‘military leave’ from the PR PD but CNN says he was on the PD ‘at one time.’
Deployed 2007, one year, to Sinai/Kuwait.
2008-2010 (back in PR? divorce/re-marriage timing?)
2010 Enlisted active duty Army, infantry
Apr 2010 PCS to Ft. Bliss; reassigned to motor pool, truck driver.
2011 Deployed Iraq, four months. Self-reports PTSD and traumatic brain injury during this stint.
2011-Feb 2014 PCS Ft. Bliss - details?
Late 2013 - grandfather and mother pass within 2 months of each other. Leave for mother initially denied (medical status reasons?), granted for 24 hours, extended to 48 hrs. (military pays ticket?)
Feb 2014 - PCS to Ft. Hood for medical evaluation/PTSD testing. Meets with psychiatrist, presenting symptoms depression, insomnia, anxiety; prescribed medications including Ambien. PTSD evaluation begins.
Feb/Mar - requests leave which is later denied(skuttlebutt)
March 1 - purchases 45 cal.
end of March - moves wife and daug into offbase apt
Day of shooting: in no certain order: enters three buildings, including his own unit and that of Personnel, firing at occupants. “Credible information” (CNN) there is was an argument with members of his unit. (separate from Personnel?)
Drives to and enters Personnel building and requests submission form to request leave. Told by officer to come back tomorrow (office closed maybe after 4pm?). Leaves, returns, opens fire, killing at least one. Leaves. Fires randomly on pedestrians on each leg of the drive as he drives from building to building.
When drawn down upon by a female officer, Lopez does not fire but chooses to self-eliminate instead.
Obvious questions:
1. after 9 years of NG and almost 4 years of active, shouldn’t he have been higher in rank than Specialist?
2. After gaining rank in NG and being a PR cop, would being assigned as a truck driver (one who takes orders as opposed to one who gives orders) have caused some deep resentment (identity crisis) that dominated his behavior?
3. Was he evaluated for adult-onset schizophrenia in 2011?
bttt Copperas Cove connection?