Lauren Duran | Contributing Writer
On April 2 at around 4:30 p.m., a shooting took place on a military base in Fort Hood, Texas killing four people and injuring fourteen. Ivan Lopez, the gunman, took his own life in the process.
Military officials spoke with NBC News stating that the shooting was caused by a personal disagreement and was not an act of terrorism. However, a similar incident took place on this same base over four years ago when Nidal Hasan murdered 13 people and wounded over 30. It was just last year that Hasan was given the death penalty.
During this week’s incident, Waco Police took to their Twitter account to inform those located in Fort Hood area of the active shooter and advised then to take shelter and keep a close eye on the media. Throughout the day police continued to communicate with residents via Twitter giving safety precautions and releasing confirmed information about the shooting.
Local police advised residents to lock all doors and windows until told otherwise. Nearby colleges also ordered students to evacuate immediately and classes were cancelled.
Since then, KCEN of Waco, Texas reported that friends and relatives of Fort Hood gathered into the visitor center on base to get information on their loved ones.
Although it is still unclear exactly what took place, investigations and are still taking place to protect the community.
President Barack Obama comforted civilians by stating, “My national security team is in close contact with not just the Defense Department but also the FBI, they are working with the folks on the ground to determine exactly what happened and make sure everybody is secure.”