April 2014: Alleged Fort Hood shooter previously stationed at Fort Bliss; hear from former neighbor

Army Spc. Ivan A. Lopez, the soldier accused of shooting and killing three people on Fort Hood, was previously stationed at Fort Bliss for two years, according to ABC News.

At a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Fort Hood Lt. Gen. Mark Milly confirmed that Lopez was stationed at Fort Bliss before transferring to Fort Hood.

Milly was asked if he was any closer to understanding why Lopez would do such an attack at fort Hood.

“We have very strong evidence that he has a medical history that indicates an unstable psychoglical condition,” Milly said. “We believe this to be the underlying factor.”

Milly also said that Lopez was not involved in any incidents while at Fort Bliss and that Lopez was under medical care while stationed at Fort Hood but did not transfer there specifically to get medical treatment.

He was stationed at Fort Bliss and assigned to the 1st Armored Division from
April 2010 until November 2013, including a four-month deployment to Iraq in
2011 with his brigade in support of Operation New Dawn.

While stationed at Fort Bliss, Lopez performed duties as an infantryman including rifleman, grenadier and vehicle driver.

Due to a medical condition, he reclassified to become a truck driver in
December 2013.

ABC-7 went to the Mediterranean Apartments in the Lower Valley and spoke with a man who lived just across the corridor from Lopez.

He was shocked to hear the news that Lopez is the alleged gunman.

“I can’t believe I used to live next door to that guy,” Noah Georges said. “I mean he lived right over here across from where I live. I never talked to him or anything but from what I saw he looked like a nice guy, a normal guy who’s a soldier.”

Georges said Lopez lived across from him with a woman and a little girl up until late last year. He said he never heard or saw anything out of the ordinary.

When he moved out, Georges’ mother-in-law moved in to the apartment where Lopez lived.

She said she still gets his mail.

Both were in disbelief that the alleged Fort Hood shooter had a close connection to them.

One Fort Bliss soldier ABC-7 talked to had a strong reaction to the news.

“Sadness and disrespected, for the most part, because for me, I know that’s not what the Army is about,” Spc. Brian Jones said. “Nobody I ever met has ever condoned acts like that.”