Fort Hood Shooter Ivan Lopez's Wife in 'Hysterics,' Questioned by Police All Night
The wife of Fort Hood shooter Ivan Lopez was said to be in hysterics when she saw on TV that her husband was identified as the man who killed three people at the Texas military base on Wednesday before shooting himself. She was also questioned all night by authorities trying to put together a motive for the incident.
Neighbor Xanderia Morris told NBC 5 that Karla Lopez came out of her apartment hysterical when Ivan's name was announced on TV. Morris stayed with and comforted Lopez until authorities came to take her away.
The couple had moved into the apartment complex in Killeen with their young daughter about three weeks ago, with Morris describing them as "real sweet."
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Lopez, an Iraqi war vet, is said to have used a .45-caliber handgun in the attack, where he killed three people and wounded 16 others, before ending his own life with the weapon. Officials have said Lopez had a history of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, though have not yet come up with a motive for the shooting.
"Obviously, we are digging deep into his background, any criminal or psychiatric history, his experiences in combat. All of the things you would expect us to do are being done right now," said Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, the post's commanding general.
"We have very strong evidence that he had a medical history that indicates an unstable psychiatric or psychological condition. (We're) going through all records to ensure that is, in fact, correct. But we believe that to be the fundamental underlying causal factor," Milley added later on Thursday.
NBC News noted that it tried to speak with Karla Lopez on Thursday morning at her apartment, where she said: "I'm sorry. I don't feel well. I've been talking to police all night."
Other neighbors have said that vet seemed to be in good spirits on the day of the shooting.
"He seemed pretty fine, happy," said Ayesha Bradley, who saw Lopez Wednesday afternoon. "He didn't seem like, you know, like the type that would do what he did."
CNN added that Lopez is one of the best-known families in the seaside community of Guayanilla in Puerto Rico; has played in a popular marching band and once served on the island's police force. The shooting has left many there shocked.
"They understand that this (is) not only their loss, but that many other families have also been hurt by this tragedy," said Gledden Lopez Torres, a spokesman for the family.
