A US soldier with mental health issues shot dead three people and injured at least 16 on Wednesday before shooting himself at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas, the site of another deadly rampage in 2009, US military officials said.
The soldier, who was being treated for depression and anxiety, went to two buildings on the base and opened fire before he was confronted by military police, Fort Hood commanding officer Lieutenant General Mark Milley said.
The gunman, whose motive remains unknown, then shot himself in the head with a .45-caliber pistol, he said.
“At this time there is no indication that this incident is related to terrorism,” Milley told a news conference.
The rampage is the third shooting at a military base in the United States in about six months that, along with a series of shootings in public places, such as schools and malls, has sparked a national debate over gun control regulations.
Security officials said preliminary information identified the gunman as Ivan Lopez but Milley declined to identify the shooter, who is married, until his family was notified.
The suspect’s wife was cooperating with law enforcement officers, a Federal Bureau of Investigation official said, according to CNN.
The shooter had served for four months in Iraq in 2011, Milley said, and was undergoing evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He arrived in Fort Hood, one of the largest US Army bases, in February from another military installation.
