 "Photo: May Kang/The Daily Texan")
FORT HOOD — The deadliest attack on a domestic U.S. military base in modern history struck Fort Hood on Thursday as a soon-to-be-deployed Army psychiatrist opened fire on a group of soldiers and civilians, killing 12 and injuring 31.
The shooting began at 1:30 p.m. in the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, an area used for processing soldiers who are returning to and departing from the base. With two non-military-issued pistols, one of them semiautomatic, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan shot into a crowd of unarmed soldiers who were in line for dental checkups and other necessities, said Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Bob Cone.
Of the 31 people injured, two were civilians working on base.
Cone described the building where most of the shooting occurred as a “very enclosed area” and said more than 100 people were present when the shooting began. He added that there were two smaller buildings adjacent to where the shooter was.
After an undetermined amount of time, Hasan was shot at least four times by a civilian police officer employed by the Army, said Col. Ben Danner, a spokesman for the base.
“It wasn’t a great period of time, otherwise it would have been a lot worse,” Danner said.
Several news outlets initialy reported that the shooter had died, but at an evening news conference, it was announced that he was still alive. Danner said Hasan was hospitalized and in stable condition.
“I would say his death is not imminent,” Danner said.
During the melee, Hasan also shot the police officer who had hit him, who was also initially reported dead. But, at the evening news conference, Cone said she had also survived and was in stable condition.
Cone would not comment on where the shooter and the officer were being held, but he said the shooter was not being treated at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, located on base.
Before the area could be secured, soldiers began treating victims by removing pieces of clothing to dress wounds.
“They did a tremendous job,” Cone said.
The other shooting victims are being treated throughout the state, including at Seton Medical Center Williamson in Round Rock.
Three people were detained for questioning following the shooting and were subsequently released, Cone said. He added that they were not involved in the actual shooting and that Hasan was the only gunman.
The base remains open but under “heightened” security, Cone said. The FBI was called in to investigate the shootings, and the area has been closed off indefinitely.
“We’ll bring in the expertise necessary to properly investigate this case,” Cone said.
Cone said Thursday afternoons are a “make-up time” at the facility, and the injured soldiers had been brought in from several units on base to catch up on processing. The number one priority on the base is to take care of the remaining casualties, Cone said, for which the base is receiving assistance.
“It is truly overwhelming, the offers of support,” Cone said.
Friday will be recognized as a day of mourning on the base, and physical training will not be held, but schools on base will still be in session.
“This has been a tragic incident, and our hearts and prayers go out to those who’ve been impacted here today,” Cone said.
This should have never got this far someone knew it could happen , Dont turn your back on these peopleever for a second or there flag will soon fly here on our soil !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ENOUGH is ENOUGH
terrible tragedy.. kids who have lost their dads and moms. Its hard enough loosing them overseas for it to happen on US soil has to be a shocker for all who were effected.