Fort Hood: four dead as soldier opens fire on US army base

A SOLDIER shot dead three colleagues and injured 16 others at the US Army's Fort Hood base in Texas, just four years after a similar attack on the military camp.

The suspect, who then killed himself, has been named by the New York Times as 34-year-old Ivan Lopez. Army officials said he had served in Iraq and was being treated for depression and anxiety. He was also being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder but was yet to be diagnosed.

A gun rampage at the same base on 5 November 2009 left 13 soldiers dead and 32 wounded. A Senate report called it the worst act of terrorism on American soil since 9/11 and the attacker, Maj Nidal Hasan, was sentenced to death last September.

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US military spokesman Lt Gen Mark Milley told reporters that there was so far no indication that yesterday's shootings were related to terrorism.

The attack appeared to unfold at around 4.30pm at a medical support building and lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. Lopez was said to have then fired shots from inside a vehicle before walking into another building and opening fire.

He reportedly put up his hands after a female military police officer arrived at the scene, but then reached under his jacket and, as she pulled out her weapon, put his own gun to his head and fired. Officials say the weapon had been bought in a local store.

Lt Gen Milley described the military police officer's actions as "clearly heroic" adding that she did "exactly what we would expect of US Army military police".

The victims are yet to be named, but those in hospital are said to be suffering from injuries including gunshot wounds to the abdomen, chest and neck. President Barack Obama said he was "heartbroken" over the attack.

It comes just days after Fox News revealed that the FBI was searching for a recent Army recruit believed to be planning a "Fort Hood-inspired jihad against US soldiers". However, the two incidents appear to be unrelated.