Opinion

Fort Hood. Again.

Late Wednesday afternoon, violence was again visited on Fort Hood, a US Army base that serves as home to men and women who have stepped forward to protect our country.

Today, we mourn the three soldiers who were murdered. We pray for the recovery of the 16 others who were wounded, some critically. We keep close to our hearts their loved ones, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by this bloodshed.

And, like most Americans, we are left asking ourselves: What drove Spc. Ivan Lopez to launch a murderous rampage that concluded with him taking his own life?

In contrast to the Nidal Malik Hasan’s shooting spree at this same base five years ago, there are no signs of terrorism — though nothing is ruled out. Every hour we learn more about the complicated psychological profile of this young killer.

The human temptation, as always, is to be impatient for “solutions.” But whether the issue is handguns on army bases, the military’s handling of mental illness or some other alleged shortcoming that led to this carnage, it’s best to wait until the facts are in before advocating solutions.

Why the good people of Fort Hood have been so cruelly singled out we cannot say. But we are confident investigators will meet their responsibility to get to the bottom of what happened and why.

Until they do, America’s obligation is to draw on our vast riches — medical, financial, spiritual, etc. — and show the world how a grateful nation embraces and cares for its hurting military families.