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Soldier charged in rampage had gun taken away last week

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier charged with killing five of his fellow troops in Iraq had his weapon taken away last week, a U.S. military official said.

U.S. troops based at Camp Liberty near Baghdad, Iraq, wait while a robot disarms a roadside bomb in 2005.

The Army is investigating how how the shooter obtained the firearm used in Monday's attack.
The suspect was identified as Army Sgt. John M. Russell, Maj. Gen. David Perkins said Tuesday in Baghdad.
Russell has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault, Perkins said.
Russell killed five people when he fired on other troops at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty, the U.S. military encampment near Baghdad International Airport, officials said.


Believed to be at the end of his third tour in Ir and soon on his way out, Russell is from the 54th Engineering Battalion, based in Bamberg, Germany. The unit is attached to Multi-National Division South but based at Camp Victory in .
Russell is in military police custody at Camp Victory.

The military has launched a criminal investigation into the attack and another probe that explores the military's mental health services operations and how such violence can be avoided in the future, Perkins said.
Among the five killed, two were officers on the staff of the clinic, one from the Army and the other from the Navy. Both were with the 55th Medical Company. The other three were enlisted soldiers who were at the clinic.
Perkins said Russell had been receiving counseling within his battalion. Last week, Russell was referred to the Camp Liberty center.
"He had been seen by his chain of command, chaplain, things like that for about the week prior to [the shootings], but that could have been the first time he physically had gone to the clinic," Perkins said. His commander took his weapon away, Perkins said.
"All soldiers carry weapons with them in Iraq. The commander of this suspected individual that is in custody had taken his weapon away. He was referred to counseling the week before, and his commander determined that it was best for him not to have a weapon," Perkins said.
The motive for the attack is not clear, Perkins said.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Army Times that the soldier was escorted to the clinic and "got into a verbal altercation with the staff" when he got there and was asked to leave.
The soldier and his escort got back into their vehicle and drove off, the report said.
"At some point during the drive, the soldier got control of his escort's weapon and ordered the escort out of the vehicle," the official said, according to the Army Times. "The soldier then drove back to the clinic, walked in and began shooting."
Perkins said there have been "many different accounts" of what happened, but he could not confirm any sequence of events. He said that the firearm used in the shootings was some sort of personal weapon and it was probably either a pistol or an M-4 rifle.
"This is a continuing investigation. It will include an examination of how the incident occurred," he said.
"Speculation does not serve us well, or rumor. We need to know the facts because we will spend a lot of time trying to prevent these types of things in the future."
Russell was referred to counseling because officials were concerned about his actions and words, but Perkins didn't elaborate.
The clinic is temporarily closed for the investigation. Alternate locations are available to soldiers, Perkins said.
Russell's age and family information were not disclosed nor were any details about his mental state. No one else was wounded in the incident, Perkins said, but he did not elaborate on why there was a charge of aggravated assault.
Russell was apprehended outside the clinic after the shots were heard, Perkins said.
"The 55th Medical Company provided immediate counseling for those who witnessed the shooting and were at the center during the time of the incident," Perkins said.
Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad, said the shootings show the challenges troops face.
"When something like this happens, we've got to be careful not to judge too harshly and extend a sympathy that is due to all these soldiers and families," Bolger said.