R.I.P. Fort Hood Soldiers

[thebigabd]

11 dead, 31 wounded... Gunmen believed to be soldiers, and 10 of the 11 dead are soldiers.

A shooting rampage Thursday afternoon at the Army's Fort Hood in Texas killed 11 and wounded 31 before the gunman was killed and two suspects taken into custody.

All three of the people believed to have carried out the shooting were soldiers, Lt. General Bob Cone told reporters Thursday evening, though the motive remains unclear.

Cone said witnesses reported seeing more than one shooter, but that couldn't be confirmed. The primary shooter used two handguns, he said.

The shooting took place 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the post's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers undergo medical screening before being deployed or after returning from overseas.

"We have a terrible, tragic situation here," said Cone. "Soldiers, family members and the civilians that work here are absolutely devastated."

Cone said the injuries "vary significantly" among the victims wounded in the shooting. The victims include one civilian police officer.

President Obama called the shooting a "horrific outburst of violence" on members of the nation's armed forces. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil."

He said he doesn't yet know all the details but promised the government would get "answers to every single question."

Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the shooting was a terrible tragedy for all of the military families affected.

The base and area schools were on lockdown after the mass shooting, and all those on the Army post were asked to gather for a head count.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572305,00.html

 

[MO]

My goodness, that is awful.

 

[BigTime]

Terrible. My prayers go out to the victims' families.

 

[OUHoops]

Thoughts and prayers out to everyone at Fort Hood and their families.

 

[AdaSooner]

How horrible! My prayers go out to the family members and friends who are no doubt distraught beyond belief tonight.

 

[FaithfulSooner]

Very sad turn of events. My prayers to out to everyone involved. GOD BLESS AMERICA! BOOMER SOONER BABY!!!

 

[thebigabd]

UPDATE ON THIS STORY.

The man responsible was a Major in the Army, and is alive and in stable condition. Apparently he was upset about being deployed and that is what triggered this.

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An Army psychiatrist who reportedly feared an impending war deployment is in custody as the sole suspect in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas that left 12 dead and 31 wounded, an Army official said Thursday night.

The news that the suspect, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, was alive and in stable condition came as a sudden reversal of early reports that the gunman was among the dead.

"I would say his death is not imminent," Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.

Two other soldiers who were taken into custody for questioning were later released, Cone said. A female first responder who shot at Hasan also survived, contrary to earlier reports that she had died.

The rampage was believed to be the deadliest at a U.S. military base in history. The exact motive wasn't clear, though Hasan, a Virginia native and a Muslim, reportedly was against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and had been the target of harassment for his ethnicity.

Federal law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats. The officials said they are still trying to confirm that he was the author.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates homicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

"To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the Internet posting. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

They say an official investigation was not opened.

Hasan was working with soldiers at Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood after being transferred in July from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he had worked for six years before recently receiving a poor review.
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Cone said the shooter used two guns, including a semi-automatic weapon. He added there was no indication they were military weapons.

The shooting took place 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the post's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers undergo medical screening before being deployed or after returning from overseas.

"We have a terrible, tragic situation here," said Cone. "Soldiers, family members and the civilians that work here are absolutely devastated."

Cone said the injuries "vary significantly" among the victims wounded in the shooting.

The shooter's cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News that their family is in shock.

"We are trying to make sense of all this," Nader Hasan said. "He wasn't even someone who enjoyed going to the firing range."

He said his cousin, who was born and raised in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech University, turned against the wars after hearing the stories of those who came back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Nader Hasan said his cousin, who was raised a Muslim, wanted to go into the military against his parent's wishes — but was taunted by others after the terror attacks of Sept. 11.

A former neighbor of Hasan's in Silver Spring, Md., told Fox News he lived there for two years with his brother and had the word "Allah" on the door.

She said the FBI interviewed her Thursday afternoon, adding she used to see a woman and a 3-year-old girl coming and going.

Authorities provided little information Thursday about the victims of the rampage at Fort Hood.

George Stratton's son, George Stratton III, was five feet away from the shooter at the Soldier Readiness Center and suffered a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

"He said he was there doing medical stuff and all of a sudden someone came through the door, walked behind the desk and just started shooting," Stratton told FoxNews.com.

He said about 15 rounds went off and people started dropping to the floor.

"He peaked up over the desk and that's when he was shot in the shoulder, and he just went down again. He said he saw one of his NCOs get badly shot," Stratton told FoxNews.com after talking to his son in the hospital. "After he got shot he told me, 'Dad, I got up, held my arm and took off running.'"

Stratton said his son was expected to be deployed to Afghanistan in January after going to basic training exactly a year ago.

"It's pretty hard to believe something like this happened," Stratton told FoxNews.com. "I think he's probably had his fill of war already."

President Obama called the shooting a "horrific outburst of violence" on members of the nation's armed forces. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil," he said

Obama said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.

A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations said they don't know anything about Hasan, and condemned the shooting at Fort Hood.

The group issued a statement calling the shooting as a "cowardly attack." They say no political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such violence.

The base and area schools were on lockdown after the mass shooting, and all those on the Army post were asked to gather for a head count, thought the lockdown was lifted Thursday night.

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572305,00.html

 

[tomkar98]

How terrible! Friends, family, and all individuals affected by this, will be in my prayers.

 

[JungleJim]

Obscene isn't it? As a 20 plus year Navy Vet, it really boils my blood. The PC police may "ban" me for this, and I don't give a crap at this point. With that said, the "alleged" shooter's name is/was Nidal Malik Hasan... 'nough said.

 

[soonerborn77]

Obscene isn't it? As a 20 plus year Navy Vet, it really boils my blood. The PC police may "ban" me for this, and I don't give a crap at this point. With that said, the "alleged" shooter's name is/was Nidal Malik Hasan... 'nough said.

It's a terrible tragedy, RIP to the soldiers.

On a side note, the attitude that you have displayed in this post is what the terrorist want to hear. It's sad to hear, especially from a vet.

 

[JungleJim]

My "attitude" is bred from reality. Much like the disgust I have for the Christian Crusades of Pope Pius, and Pope Innocent. The current time "Crusaders" march under the cloak of another religion. History repeats itself.

I'll leave it at that and just say it's not good to discuss religion or politics amongst friends.

 

[soonerborn77]

My "attitude" is bred from reality. Much like the disgust I have for the Christian Crusades of Pope Pius, and Pope Innocent. The current time "Crusaders" march under the cloak of another religion. History repeats itself.

I'll leave it at that and just say it's not good to discuss religion or politics amongst friends.

I agree, let's not discuss it, but yea I agree with you about history repeating itself and unfortunately it is terrible.

 

[MNsooner]

I'll leave it at that and just say it's not good to discuss religion or politics amongst friends.

Agreed. Let's not cheapen the memory of these people by turning this tragedy into a reason for political bickering.