Fort Hood shooter was in dispute over leave

The shooter at Fort Hood military base in Texas had a dispute with his superiors over their denial of a leave request shortly before the fatal shooting took place, a report says.

Investigators are looking into the dispute of Army Specialist Ivan Antonio Lopez who opened fire with a .45-caliber handgun on Wednesday, killing three of his fellow soldiers and injuring 16 others, The New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official.

The report said it was unclear why Lopez wanted to take time off, but it appeared to involve his family.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Senator Ted Cruz and other state lawmakers planned to visit wounded troops and Army officials at Fort Hood on Friday.

On Thursday, Fort Hood’s commanding general, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley, blamed psychological problems of Specialist Lopez for the shooting. He said the soldier was being treated for depression and was being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lopez, 34, had served in Iraq in 2011. He was part of a transportation battalion and had recently arrived on base after being transferred from Fort Bliss in El Paso, according to the report.

Specialist Lopez had been examined by a psychiatrist in the last month, said Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. But, he added, Lopez had shown no signs that he might commit a violent act.

“The plan forward was just to continue to monitor and treat him as deemed appropriate,” Mr. McHugh said.

It was the second mass shooting that have been happened in nearly five years at Fort Hood.

In September, another shooting took place at the Washington Navy Yard, leaving 12 people dead.