Why The Fort Hood Shooter Was Able To Buy A Gun Despite Mental Health Issues

*A gunman identified as 34-year-old Iraq War veteran Ivan Lopez opened fire at the Fort Hood military base in Killeen, Texas on Wednesday, reportedly killing three service members before committing suicide. Officials reported that Lopez was being treated for several mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, and was being screened for possible Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But despite his ongoing treatment, Lopez wasn't barred from owning a gun. In fact, he recently purchased the .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol that he used during Wednesday's shooting spree.
Current federal law only bars people who have been involuntarily committed to inpatient mental health treatment or officially adjudicated mentally ill by a court from owning a firearm and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports veterans to the background check system if they've been deemed mentally incompetent. The Obama administration took several steps to enhance those rules at the beginning of this year, but gun safety advocates told ThinkProgress that more needs to be done, particularly for soldiers afflicted with PTSD...* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from SY MUKHERJEE at Think Progress:

Also learn more here from the New York Times: