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47-619: The National Center for Victims of Crime holds an annual National Training Institute. The National Training Institute is held in conjunction with the National Crime Victim Bar Association National Conference, "Civil Actions for Criminal Acts". The National Training Institute emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to sharing promising practices, current research, and effective programs and policies that are victim-centered, practice-based, and research-informed. The National Training Institute

94-527: A .45-caliber Smith & Wesson M&P pistol inside the same building, injuring three soldiers ‍ — PFC   Wilfred Sanchez, Sgt.   Jonathan Westbrook, and SFC   Warren Hardnett ‍ — all of whom had been involved in the altercation with Lopez. Lopez also killed Sgt.   First Class Daniel Ferguson, who was attempting to barricade a lockless conference room door to prevent Lopez from gaining entry and harming anyone inside. Lopez then got into his car and drove slowly to

141-525: A shooting spree was perpetrated at several locations on the Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos ) military base near Killeen, Texas . Four people, including the gunman, were killed while 14 additional people were injured; 12 by gunshot wounds. The shooter, 34-year-old Army Specialist Ivan Lopez, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Immediately prior to the shooting, Lopez went to the 49th Transportation Battalion administrative office where he tried to obtain

188-571: A co-chairman of a national victims' coalition. The two of them teamed up with Auersperg's sister Annie-Laurie and Morris Gurley, Sunny von Bulow's financial adviser, to form a new nonprofit organization with Patterson as director. The organization was named the Sunny von Bulow Victim Advocacy Center, and it opened in January 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas . Fort Worth was chosen because of its location in

235-455: A method and rubric for collecting and distributing donations to victims that could be set up quickly and distributed fairly following a mass shooting. The National Compassion Fund has collected charitable donations and distributed funds to victims of the 2014 Fort Hood shootings , 2015 Chattanooga shootings , 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting , 2017 Las Vegas shooting , the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting , 2018 Cincinnati shooting ,

282-401: A motor pool building to which he had been assigned, firing at two soldiers and wounding one of them along the way on 73rd Street. Upon reaching the building, Lopez fired at a soldier inside the office, but missed her and grazed the head of another soldier. He then killed Sgt. Timothy Owens when Sgt. Owens approached him and tried to talk him down, and wounded another soldier. He then moved on to

329-690: A technical assistance for tribal governments program. It was also awarded a $ 727,842 grant from the District of Columbia to fund the DC Victim Hotline. Between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020, the National Center for Victims of Crime was awarded one $ 1,337,875 in federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund the National Crime Victims Helpline. It was also awarded a $ 714,844 grant from

376-485: A ten-day leave form so he could attend to "family matters". However, he was informed that he would have to come back later to retrieve it, sparking a verbal altercation between him and several other soldiers. The request was ultimately denied because Lopez had already secured housing in an apartment in Killeen. Lopez then went outside to smoke a cigarette. At approximately 4:00 p.m., he returned and opened fire with

423-537: Is a forum for law enforcement, victim service professionals, allied practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to share current developments and build new collaborations. Sessions will highlight practical information to better support services for the wide range of persons victimized by crimes of all types. The VictimConnect Resource Center is a project funded by the Office for Victims of Crime and launched in July 2015. It

470-600: Is a part of the Office of Justice Programs , within the U.S. Department of Justice . The OVC's mission is to provide aid and promote justice for crime victims. The office was created in 1988 in an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984 . OVC sponsors the annual Crime Victims' Rights Week that promotes victims' rights and services. Jessica E. Hart was appointed to the role of Director by President Donald Trump and sworn in on March 31, 2020. She left office on January 20, 2021. Between January and July 2021,

517-677: Is a place for victims of any crime to learn about their rights and options—confidentially and compassionately. VictimConnect can be accessed anywhere in the United States through a phone and texting hotline available 8:30   am to 7:30   pm Eastern Time, and through online chat from 9:30   am to 6:30   pm Eastern Time. Staffers of the helpline are called victim assistance specialists, and they have specialized training in helping victims connect with resources, access referrals, and craft next steps to regain control over their lives. Both English and Spanish speakers are available and

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564-459: Is funded by the District of Columbia Office of Victim Services . It is the only citywide hotline providing free, confidential local resources for victims of all types of crime in the District of Columbia . The hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is free and confidential. It provides an access point for victims of any crime to access assistance. The Victim Assistance Specialists staffing

611-617: The 2019 Aurora, Illinois shooting . the 2019 El Paso shooting , the 2021 Indianapolis FedEx shooting , the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings , the 2021 Oconomowoc Wisconsin shooting, and the 2021 West Hempstead shooting. The National Center for Victims of Crime supported the Elder Abuse Prevention and Protection Act of 2017, which increased professional training for federal investigators and prosecutors, designated prosecutors to handle cases of elder abuse in each federal judicial district , established elder justice coordinators in

658-472: The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund or seek damages in court. The forums included presentations on economic losses , non-economic losses, and civil litigation , followed by question-and-answer sessions. The National Center for Victims of Crime receives grants from government agencies. In 2022, 55% of its total revenue came from government grants. Between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023,

705-493: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission 's Bureau of Consumer Protection and the U.S. Department of Justice , and increased penalties for perpetrators of elder abuse. In December 2017, the National Center for Victims of Crime supported the Combat Online Predators Act, a bill to increase the maximum sentence in federal prison for stalking a minor. It was signed into law on December 22, 2020. In January 2018,

752-457: The District of Columbia to fund the DC Victim Hotline. Martha "Sunny" von Bulow 's husband was arrested and charged with attempting to murder her by insulin overdose that ended up resulting in an irreversible coma . Her husband was convicted, but the conviction was overturned on appeal . At a second trial, he was found not guilty. At a national meeting of Mothers Against Drunk Driving , Alexander Auersperg, her son, met E. Gene Patterson,

799-559: The National Center for Victims of Crime supported the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, to make it illegal for amateur athletics governing bodies to fail to report sex-abuse allegations to a law enforcement authority within 24 hours. It extended the civil statute of limitations for human trafficking and federal sex offenses. It required national governing bodies to develop and enforce methods to prevent, report, and respond to

846-428: The National Center for Victims of Crime was awarded one $ 400,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop a resource guide for National Crime Victims' Rights Week . It was also awarded a $ 852,294 grant from the District of Columbia to fund the DC Victim Hotline. Between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022, the National Center for Victims of Crime was awarded one $ 1,500,000 federal grant from

893-607: The Puerto Rico National Guard, where he was given orders to deploy to Egypt from February 15, 2007, to February 10, 2008. From August 6 to December 18, 2011, Lopez served a tour in Iraq, participating in Operation New Dawn as security detail . On or about December 12, his convoy was involved in a roadside bombing. Though Lopez would allege that he had experiences in direct combat in Iraq and cited

940-612: The Stalking Resource Center (SRC). Since its inception, the Stalking Resource Center has trained over 100,000 professionals who work with victims in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany and provided technical assistance to hundreds of communities seeking to enhance their response to stalking . In January 2004, the National Center for Victims of Crime established the month of January as National Stalking Awareness Month in order to raise awareness of

987-486: The U.S. Department of Justice to fund the VictimConnect Resource Center. It was also awarded a $ 763,350 grant from the District of Columbia to fund the DC Victim Hotline. Between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, the National Center for Victims of Crime was awarded two federal grants totaling $ 599,999 from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund a tribal victim services program and to fund

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1034-579: The abuse of child athletes. The bill was signed into law on February 14, 2018. In February 2018, the National Center of Victims supported the Crime Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, which would provide a legal process for restitution for victims of child pornography in Connecticut. In 2000, the National Center for Victims of Crime partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to create

1081-414: The bombing of his convoy, investigators determined he was not within the blast radius of the bomb used. On November 29, 2013, he began receiving MOS reclassification training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri , graduating three months later. During his time there, he attempted to purchase a weapon on two occasions. On the second occasion, Lopez was persuaded by a classmate to reconsider the purchase. Lopez

1128-468: The building's vehicle bay area, where he injured two soldiers, after which his weapon misfired. Lopez then proceeded to the 1st Medical Brigade headquarters in his car. Along the way, he fired a round into a car occupied by two soldiers, wounding the passenger. Reaching the intersection of 73rd Street and Motorpool Road, Lopez shot at two other soldiers, but missed both of them. Reaching the medical building, Lopez shot and wounded 1st Lt. John Arroyo Jr., in

1175-658: The center of the United States. Auersperg envisioned the organization to be a national information and referral organization for victim-advocate groups. Auersperg pledged $ 1.5 million to fund the organization during its first three years, with his hope that the organization would become self-supporting. The organization was renamed the National Victim Center in 1987, and it became the National Center for Victims of Crime in December 1998. Office for Victims of Crime The Office for Victims of Crime ( OVC )

1222-488: The crime of stalking. The federal grant funding the Stalking Resource Center was awarded to a different nonprofit organization, AEquitas, effective October 1, 2017. AEquitas renamed it the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC). After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , the National Center for Victims of Crime held free forums to help survivors of victims decide whether to join

1269-524: The family of each murdered victim, how much should go to survivors who witnessed the murders and will need years of therapy, and who should make these decisions. There were also significant delays in the distribution of donations and questions over whether the organization that collected the donations should retain a portion of the donations. The National Center for Victims of Crime created the National Compassion Fund in order to establish

1316-591: The hotline build connections with community partners through networking and cross-training. They provide basic crisis-intervention and referrals to community organizations. Following the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School , a movie theater in Aurora , a Sikh temple in Oak Creek , and Virginia Tech , the victims' families found that questions over the method of distributing charitable contributions caused them even more pain. Questions included how much should go to

1363-457: The investigation cited that Lopez's commanders knew very little of his personal difficulties and would have provided him with help had he disclosed these difficulties. It also highlighted gaps in information sharing, as Lopez's supervisors believed they were unable to obtain his personal information due to federal medical privacy laws. Previously, in the wake of the aforementioned 2009 Fort Hood shooting, information sharing regarding medical history

1410-689: The office was led by Acting Director Katherine Darke Schmitt. Kristina Rose is the current Director, appointed by President Joe Biden and sworn into the position on July 12, 2021. Rose previously served as acting director and deputy director for the National Institute of Justice, and as the Chief of Staff for the Office on Violence Against Women. This crime -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2014 Fort Hood shootings On Wednesday, April 2, 2014,

1457-402: The officer was originally speaking with, began to perform medical aid along with the officer to Lopez before they assisted in providing aid to the wounded. A total of 34 rounds were fired during the shooting spree: eleven at the administrative office, nine at the motor pool building, five at the medical building, and nine from inside his car. It was later revealed that Lopez, who was in uniform at

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1504-662: The program has access to interpreters for over 200 languages. Additionally, VictimConnect has a Senior Services Program to assist senior victims of abuse or financial fraud. Senior services staff have been specifically trained to provide referrals, community resources, and additional support to prevent and increase awareness of elder abuse. The Tribal Resource Tool is a web-based, community centered resource mapping tool that connects Native American victims and survivors of crime and abuse to over 1,000 local, trauma-informed and verified resources in their community. This tool also identifies gaps in victim services so those can be addressed. It

1551-642: The same day he bought a replacement. During that same month, he had seen a psychologist and was prescribed Ambien for a sleeping problem. In his Facebook account, Lopez made posts in which he alleged that he was robbed by two men and also criticized Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Lopez also described his experiences in direct combat during his tour in Iraq, although military officials confirmed that Lopez did not experience any direct combat. A Facebook page created by Lopez claimed that he

1598-511: The scene. The base confirmed the shooting in a brief statement posted online on April 2, 2014. On its Twitter feed and Facebook page, Fort Hood officials ordered everyone on base to " shelter in place " during the shooting. All of the injured victims were taken to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center , for initial treatment and stabilization. Once they were stabilized they were then transferred to Scott & White Memorial Hospital where they received further care. As of April 10, twelve of

1645-399: The shooting first started, Lopez drove to the parking lot of another building, Building 39002, where he was confronted by an unidentified military police officer, with whom he had a verbal exchange. When he brandished his weapon, the officer fired a shot at him that missed. Lopez responded by committing suicide, shooting himself in the right of the head. Two medics from 1st Medical Brigade, whom

1692-492: The shooting, Lopez purchased the weapon used in the shooting from Guns Galore, the same store where Nidal Malik Hasan , the convicted perpetrator of the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, originally purchased his own weapon . Lopez's weapon was not registered with the installation. He had previously purchased a firearm of the same model, unregistered with the installation, on February 23, although he reported it stolen on March 1,

1739-583: The shooting, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Fort Hood to attend a ceremony honoring the victims. On April 16, discussion was renewed over if soldiers should be allowed to carry concealed firearms on military bases in Texas and other states. On January 23, 2015, the Army concluded from an investigation into the shooting that there was no indication of a possibility of violent behavior from Lopez through his medical and personnel records. A report on

1786-502: The sixteen wounded had been released from the hospitals and returned to duty, while the other four remained hospitalized in stable condition. Reacting to the incident, President Barack Obama said at a fundraiser in Chicago that he was left "heartbroken" and assured that the events would be investigated. The base was previously the scene of a mass shooting in 2009 , in which 13 people were killed and more than 30 wounded. One week after

1833-410: The throat as he was walking outside in the western parking lot. He then entered the building and fatally shot a soldier at the main entrance desk, Staff Sgt. Carlos Lazaney-Rodriguez; he also wounded two other soldiers inside. Then, Lopez walked down the main hallway, wounded MAJ Patrick W. Miller, shooting him point blank in the abdomen, and exited through a doorway. Approximately eight minutes after

1880-661: The time of the shooting, wasn't authorized to carry a concealed firearm. Three people were killed in the shooting, excluding the gunman. They were identified as: During the shooting, the Bell County Communications Center dispatched deputies and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety to the nearby post after receiving reports of an "active shooter", sheriff's Lt. Donnie Adams said. Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Michelle Lee said its agents were also headed to

1927-511: Was a sniper who had been to the Central African Republic . On March 24, Lopez's battalion began tracking a ten-day permissive temporary duty (PTDY) request he made immediately after arriving to Fort Hood so he could help his family relocate to an apartment in Killeen, as his current one was burglarized. He was given a four-day pass by his acting sergeant, who informed him that he would receive PTDY after his return. Lopez took

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1974-473: Was allegedly distraught over financial issues and the deaths of his grandfather and then his mother during a two-month period five months prior to the shooting. He was also undergoing regular psychiatric treatment for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder . He tried to take leave in order to attend his mother's funeral in Puerto Rico. It took five days for the leave to be approved, but he

2021-510: Was among 78 recommendations suggested to identify the risk of violent behavior. However, this recommendation was not implemented due to "constraints on exchanging information between military and civilian behavioral health care providers". The 2015 report recommended improvements with the level of contact between commanders and their newly assigned soldiers, and that soldiers should register personally owned weapons with their commanders. Ivan A. Lopez-Lopez (October 23, 1979 – April 2, 2014)

2068-650: Was an Iraq War veteran who was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico . He enlisted in the Puerto Rico National Guard on January 4, 1999, but was unable to pass a required English language course and was subsequently discharged on November 30 of the same year. Lopez reenlisted on April 30, 2003, as an infantryman and served until 2010. He served on active duty in the United States Army in June 2008. He

2115-929: Was created with funds from the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians and the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. The National Center provides Training and Technical Assistance through Victim Assistance to Support Tribes (VAST) and Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Department of Justice funded project that matches Training and Technical Assistance providers with selected field sites. The National Center evaluates field site’s Victim Service Units, conducts joint analyses with partner organizations and hosts training on subjects, such as Domestic Violence and Firearms. The DC Victim Hotline officially launched on October 1, 2015. It

2162-511: Was married and had four children, two of them from a previous marriage. Lopez was a specialist, and at the time of the shooting, he was assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command , a logistics and support unit at Fort Hood. He was previously assigned in Fort Bliss , but was transferred to another base for four months, then moved to Fort Hood two months prior to the shooting. Lopez previously reported at Fort Hood in 2006 during his time in

2209-443: Was only allowed to be absent for 24 hours, which allegedly upset him. The leave was eventually extended to two days. More recently, Lopez had asked for a transfer, claiming that he was "being taunted and picked on" by other soldiers in his unit. During a press conference on the day of the shooting, Fort Hood Commander Mark A. Milley stated that Lopez died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On March 1, 2014, over one month prior to

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