Federal officials confirmed that Ivan Lopez, who last week shot and killed three people and then himself at Fort Hood, Texas, was denied a request for a temporary leave the same day the shooting occurred, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
A law enforcement official, who wished to not be identified, told the newspaper the request was related to the death of Lopez's mother, and that Lopez was attempting to renew the request after he was previously turned down.
"He had put in for something regarding his mother's death and some other matters, and it was denied," the official told the LA Times. "Or it wasn't going to happen as quickly as he wanted it to.
"When they told him, he blew his top," the official told the newspaper.
Investigators also said that Lopez's mental health did not play a role in his actions. Lopez, who in 2011 served as a specialty truck driver in Iraq, was being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder and was prescribed Ambien to deal with sleeping problems. However, Lopez was never officially diagnosed and a psychologist in March said Lopez showed no signs of violence.
On April 2 Lopez walked into one of the fort's buildings with a .45-caliber Smith & Weston and open fired. He then got in a car and drove to another building at the fort, firing his weapon the entire time. Lopez eventually turned the gun on himself when security caught up with him. Three soldiers were killed and 16 others were wounded.
Lieutenant General Mark Milley said on Friday that the "direct precipitating factor" in the shooting was an "escalating argument within [Lopez's] unit area," the LA Times reported. The general did not specify what the disagreement was about.
Investigators, however, still do not have an official motive for the murders.
A neighbor of Lopez, Mahogany Jones, told the newspaper that Lopez told her two weeks ago the Army does not provide enough benefits for soldiers.
"He said don't join the Army because they're not giving people what they need," Jones said.
