A shooting at the US Army’s Fort Hood base in Texas has left four people dead – including a gunman who died from self-inflicted wounds – and 16 injured.The suspect’s name is known but next of kin have not yet been informed, military officials said.
President Barack Obama said he was “heartbroken” over the attack.
A gun rampage at the same base in 2009 left 13 soldiers dead and 32 wounded. Maj Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death for that attack.
‘Sacrifice’
The all-clear has now sounded at the base and cars are leaving the complex.
US military spokesman Lt Gen Mark Milley told reporters that there was so far no indication that the shootings were related to terrorism but it had not been ruled out.
Gen Milley said that the suspect had served in Iraq and was being assessed to see if he had post-traumatic stress disorder. He said that the gunman was suffering from depression and anxiety.
The general said that it was not clear if the attack was pre-meditated and those wounded and killed were all members of the military.
The soldier drove to two buildings on the base and opened fire before he was stopped by military police, in an incident that lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. He then shot himself in the head with a .45-calibre pistol, Gen Milley said.
A “shelter in place” order had been issued for Fort Hood when news of the “active shooter” broke earlier on Wednesday.
The 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, sent a Twitter alert telling people to close doors and stay away from windows.
A number of US media sites named the gunman as 34-year-old enlisted soldier, Ivan Lopez.
Mr Obama earlier said this was a “fluid” situation he was following closely.
“I want to just assure all of us we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened,” he told reporters in Chicago.
Mr Obama said Ford Hood had sacrificed so much for freedom.
“We know these families. We know their incredible service to our country and the sacrifices that they make. Obviously our thoughts and prayers… are with the entire community,” he said.
Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel called the shooting a “terrible tragedy”.
Daniel Corbin, mayor of nearby Killeen in Texas, told the BBC he felt nearly “indescribable” grief for those involved.
“We pray for them when they are deployed. We try to take care of their families and we’re really close as a community to Fort Hood,” he said. “You wish you could, you know, give some immediate help, but you can’t.”
Maj Hasan was sentenced to death last September over the 2009 shooting rampage.
He claimed he opened fire at the army base to protect Taliban insurgents from US troops who were about to deploy to Afghanistan.
It was the deadliest attack on a domestic military installation in US history.
