Yesterday, April 2, 2014, Specialist Ivan Lopez opened fire on fellow service members at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 3 people and wounding 16 before committing suicide.  Lopez was undergoing psychiatric treatment at the time for depression, anxiety and a variety of other psychological problems as well as going through a diagnosis of potential post-traumatic stress disorder. The motivation behind this incident is still unknown and currently being investigated.

The White House published President Obama’s official response to the shootings. In his response he stated:  “Any shooting is troubling.  Obviously this reopens the pain of what happened at Fort Hood five years ago.  We know these families.  We know their incredible service to our country and the sacrifices that they make.  Obviously our thoughts and prayers were — are with the entire community.  And we are going to do everything we can to make sure that the community at Fort Hood has what it needs to deal with the current situation, but also any potential aftermath.”

The U.S. Department of Defense also published Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel’s statement on the Fort Hood shooting. Where he reiterated President Obama’s thoughts and stressed that nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our people.

Other resources to keep you updated can be found on the CNN trending topics page of this incident.

Article formerly posted at https://www.hsdl.org/blog/newpost/view/white-house-remarks-on-recent-fort-hood-shooting