SPC Ivan Lopez; the anomaly
Yesterday, thousands of veterans suffering from PTS didn’t shoot anyone, however one, Ivan Lopez did kill three people and left 16 injured. One female military policewoman confronted Lopez and he did what he should have done before he started his spree. I heard Lopez’ name early in the erratic news broadcasts and checked AKO (Army Knowledge Online) but found nothing on any Ivan Lopez at Fort Hood – they must have scrubbed his account before releasing his name.
LTG Mark Milley, Third Corps and Fort Hood commander of the sprawling central Texas Army base, said in a press briefing that Lopez was being treated for PTS although the diagnosis wasn’t finalized quite yet. Well, we know that people who do have PTS don’t normally hurt other people, they hurt themselves, but not the rest of us. So it’s unfair of Milley and the media to check off the PTS box as the cause for this incident.
From Fox News;
The suspect had arrived at Fort Hood in February from another base in Texas. He was taking medication, and there were reports that he had complained after returning from Iraq about suffering a traumatic brain injury, Milley said. The commander did not elaborate.
An FBI official told Fox News there no initial indication that the gunman was motivated by any religiously-fueled ideology. “But it is still early in the investigation and we are not ruling anything out,” the official said.
Late Wednesday, investigators had already started looking into whether the gunman’s combat experience caused lingering psychological trauma. Among the possibilities they planned to explore was whether a fight or argument on base triggered the shooting.
Lopez was a truckdriver, so while I’ll buy into the TBI theory, the PTS not so much. The media is reporting that Lopez bought the Smith & Wesson .45 recently, and since the military doctors hadn’t diagnosed him yet, that seems reasonable. I’m sure that he hadn’t shown any predisposition to violence, so there was no reason to alert the FBI to put him on the NICS system.
But, the media has arrived at their preconceived notion that it was PTS that made him kill people, so case closed, but like I said, how do they explain the fact that everyday, thousands of veterans with PTS haven’t murdered anyone?
Category: Media, Veterans Issues
But, the media has arrived at their preconceived notion that it was PTS that made him kill people, so case closed, but like I said, how do they explain the fact that everyday, thousands of veterans with PTS haven’t murdered anyone?
The same way they explain the fact that millions of law abiding gun owners don’t murder anyone each day…they ignore that simple inconvenient truth because they prefer to promote their favorite memes.
The media no longer carries the weight of trust from the citizens of the United States it once had, 6 out of 10 Americans state they no longer trust the media to be fair or necessarily accurate in their reporting. The interesting thing is that Independents and Republicans have the least trust in the media, and Democrats have the most trust in the media. That alone lets you know how the media is perceived….Democrats like what they hear so they choose to believe.
Currently the US Media will not bother to let truth get in the way of a great story, we no longer have journalists we have opinionistas posing as reporters to further their own views and distort the facts to fit their world view and ideology, and that is a very disappointing outcome.
I’m pretty sure the broad term of PTS isn’t making it easier. I’m already hearing and reading comments that any and all military members shouldn’t be allowed to own type of weapon. Every mainstream media wants to be the first on the latest breaking news on this and if it helps push the agenda of disarming vets, well then they’ll keep running with the headline.
Im not a vet, but cold dead hands baby. And if they try to take them from you I will stand by your side.
It’s another stigma being used to make the military and vets the “other” so that they can be further ostracized….separate us even farther from the mainstream than we are, and the average voter will care even less when Dear Leader further guts the national defense.
Are Truck drivers part of a group which is unaffected by PTSD?
11B, No, truck drivers who are involved in combat or another life threatening “out of the realm of normal”, can suffer from PTS like anybody else. I treated many especially those who had to run the Mang Yang Pass.
I spent 30 years treating veterans and active duty with REAL PTS. This is complete BS that they are saying PTS is at all related to this case. He was being treated for depression, anxiety, and, and this is the big and, PERSONALITY PROBLEMS. It’s the Axis 2 PERSONALITY PROBLEMS, that breeds murderers, NOT AXIS 1 PTS. Not one of my patients ever murdered anybody. I don’t even believe the TBI bit because it was “self-reported” and there is no evidence he was ever in ANY combat where he would have received TBI. This truly was work-place violence by a soldier with personality problems not caused by 4 months in Iraq. I sent a scathing letter to our editor today about calling this a PTS incident and I’m sick to death of having every nut with a weapon who murders someone having PTS. My heart goes out to the families of those who died and were wounded. As I write this I just heard a talking head say, “is this another soldier who fell through the crack?” NO! He was being treated for the above mentioned problems and being “evaluated” for PTS. He was on medication, which should be looked at to what meds. I know here at Beaufort Naval Hospital the psychiatrist was using meds that should never be used for PTS because the VA was using them. After we talked, and she did some research, she cancelled those meds and never prescribed them again. Sorry about the length of this but I’m just so pissed off about this I had to vent.
Your voice on this needs to be heard! Especially by those misinformed idiots out there who believe all the crazy Veteran with PTSD bullshit put out by Hollywood and the media.
To 1AirCav69, well done. It’s is good to hear from one with knowledge and background in this field.
1AirCav69 Thank you for your informed input. There is a lot about his guy that is known and maybe a lot that is unknown. But he did not fall through the cracks. I do not believe he had PTS. I believe it will come out he was diagnosed as you wrote and perhaps had a beef with someone on base or the Army in general. He will be the media’s show child of why first, all PTS patients should be denied arms and second, why all military veterans in general should be denied arms. In service on post or once they muster out. The Obama Administration would love to “make a list and check it twice” of all PTS patients, regardless of whether they have been treated and have overcome their issues and all vets to keep them from purchasing arms. Part and parcel of dismantling the Second Amendment. Piece by piece, one segment of society at a time.
When you basically try to say that only infantry can be diagnosed with PTS you come across just as ignorant as the media you’re complaining about.
Is this directed at me?
No, it was directed at the OP that stated he “wasn’t buying” the PTS bit, but would believe the TBI.
FTR I agree with the overall tone of the OP, but I think his comment about PTS and truck drivers is serverely off base.
Thanks for the come back Brass. As I explained to 11Bravo, anybody can get PTS if they are exposed to severe trauma. I use PTS now instead of PTSD because I don’t believe it’s a disorder but an injury or wound like TBI.
This IS not about PTSD … This is about a common criminal … Murderer!
He is a failure …
Allen West, on Fox, finally said something I disagreed with. He said that Lieutenants and Captains should be the only uniformed members to be armed on base. This happened late in the afternoon in a motorpool. How many CPTs and LTs were in the motorpool yesterday when this happened?
I’d arm squad leaders and platoon sergeants before I’d arm LTs.
100% Agree
A big “Roger That” Jonn!
Here on Camp Pendleton, we have our “Guardian Angel” program. It consists of armed area guards who roam the confines of the camp on foot. They act independently of the MPs and are controlled by the area commander. When units hold large formations, additional guards are posted as well. I don’t see this program ending anytime soon….not that it would have stopped an event like this, but we at least have something in place.
I disagree as well. My 21-year-old soon-to-be senior airman son is well-qualified and has his concealed carry license.
In fact, given the level of firearms training in the Air Force, that probably makes him MORE qualified than most officers.
DAMN RIGHT!!
Full agreement here Jonn. So Allen wouldn’t trust someone like CSM Plumley?
West is an officer they view enlisted soldiers as dumb cattle, it is no surprise he wouldn’t trust NCOs to be armed.
Always remember doing a good-sized range-fire/qualification for officers and enlisted who were issued .45s back in the ’80s in Germany. Officers: out of approximately 50 officers, a handful of bolos, a LOT of marksmen, a few sharpshooters, NO experts, LOTS of bitching about what junk our arms-room .45s were. Next day, same pistols from the same arms room – approximately the same number of enlisted pukes assigned to M60 crews etc: no bolos, about 20 marksmen, same number of sharpshooters, maybe a dozen experts. (OK, I loaded the deck a tad – some of them, especially the females assigned had never shot a .45 and received some additional training from me, to the tune of maybe an additional 30 rounds.)
Yeah, only arm the officers… then run.
Jonn, he could well have modified his statement in that regard. I heard him say something along that line during the evening, qualified a bit “at least for senior staff and experienced NCO’s.” Not sure of his exact words, but it included some of both officers and enlisted, and was couched in such a way as to not be against arming many more than is now policy.
Some men have suffered superficial wounds but died from shock. Others have suffered the most traumatic injuries imaginable and survived. Some men have faced debilitating stress of hours-long bombardments, prolonged pain as POWs, and other of the great horrors of war and have gone on to lead pleasant and relatively peaceful lives. Others who experienced little war but much apprehension and anxiety about what MIGHT happen have had their inner being changed forever. Go figure. I can’t. So, when it comes to PTS, I have little to say because I simply do not know. Neither, I’m afraid, does science.
2/17 Air Cav I saw the same things, watching the same type guys go through what you described. I too do not understand. It is a difference in individual human makeup that I do not comprehend and I agree, neither does science at this point. We are complex beings, we humans.
You guys are absolutely correct. Certainly a persons pre-morbid experiences play a huge part in whether or not someone gets PTS. There is still so much about human behavior, mental health, and the brain that even “professionals” don’t have a clue sometime.
I’m trying to remember what the rank of the last shooter was? So much for that idea…
PFM Good point.
Unless he knocked himself out on a door jamb if he had TBI he would have a Purple Heart, which he doesn’t.
I’m also not sure if I buy the whole PTS thing. He was in Iraq during a timeframe when nothing was going on. We were leaving and the insurgents didn’t want to do anything that could make us stay so that they could claim victory of us infidels for “driving” us out of Iraq.
Not necessarily – I have a minor TBI and an LOD. No PH. Didn’t want one either. Guys were and absorbing bullets losing limbs to IEDs. I get headaches.
I have 3 TBI’s linked to combat and don’t have nor want a PH for them. Was told paperwork could be submitted while I was at Walter Reed, but I told them not to bother.
I think that we will soon be hearing liberal pols and their mainstream liberal media lackeys howl and screech for us ME Vets to be disarmed at any cost because of ONE that decided to go berserk. I’m sure that Lopez knew all about the Gun Control Regs on that post, thus he knew he would have very little armed resistance, ditto with Hasan the coward. I also predict that the almighty “Brass-asses” and their staffers will soon come up with some lengthy “Death by PowerPoint” presentations to deal with this along with a “spy and rat on your buddy” campaign. Don’t get me wrong, if someone is giving off warning signs, HELL YEAH, you report it, but I predict they’ll come up with something they see as some brilliant panacea that won’t accomplish jack shit!! I also wonder if Lopez might have given off warning signs that were ignored because someone in his CoC was worried about a bad evaluation due to it, or they were just too lazy to do anything!
Has the surfer in chief or that bum Hagel made their way down there yet or are they at some critical whiteness study hosted by some civil rights scam artist.
And how about queen michelle, she always pays lip service to military families, where is she at?? Must still be on spring break.
So, Crazy Ivan?
/yes, I’m going to hell. (Too soon?…apologies to the Bubbleheads. )
Someone up in the FB comments said this fool was “bullied”…Another over used word…Next thing you know, it’ll be PTS with a Bullied Component or some such….
I agree with most here..I don’t buy the PTS or the TBI…I think its more along the lines is this guy had issues well before he enlisted.
Would be interested to see where he was stationed before and why he was transferred to Ft Hood.
All the same though, disarming Vets and Currently Serving is just a sure fire way that this will happen again…Sick people who want guns to hurt others will always find a way to get a gun or a bomb.
I find it interesting that with this latest, there hasn’t been a peep on the Navy shooting…
We already know what the liberal talking points will be after this.. Insufficient mental health care, bullying on military bases, the female mp who encountered the shooter before he ate a bullet.
Is Ivan Lopez a Democrat like the other crazy shooters?