13 killed in shootings at Fort Hood

[Va Beach VH Fan]

A product of too many deployments, no doubt....

7 killed in shootings at Fort Hood, Pentagon says - CNN.com

(CNN) -- At least seven people are dead and between 12 and 15 wounded in shootings at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday, senior Pentagon official told CNN.

At least one person is "neutralized" in connection with the incident, and a second is "cornered," retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore told CNN, citing "unofficial, unconfirmed reports" from two sources.

On the Fort Hood Web site, the word "closed" is posted with the statement, "Effective immediately, Fort Hood is closed. Organizations/units are instructed to execute a 100 percent accountability of all personnel."

Fort Hood was asking people on post to stay away from windows, CNN affiliate KXXV said. The incident took place at the sports dome, now known as the soldier readiness area, the station reported.

FBI agents are headed to the scene to assist, said Erik Vasys, spokesman for the FBI office in San Antonio. He had no other details.

The military installation is located near Killeen, Texas. It is the Army's largest installation, Honore said.

[Nickdfresh]

Oh boy. Sounds like it might have been planned.

[Nickdfresh]

Oh boy. Sounds like it might have been planned. Two are said to be at large...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

The SGTMAJ that Rick Sanchez just talked to on CNN is an old friend of mine.... We were softball buddies in Naples, Italy.... He was a SGT back then....

[FORD]

General just gave a briefing. Believe he said 12 dead, 31 injured.

[Big Train]

Not good...

Twelve Soldiers Killed in Fort Hood Shooting - ABC News

Twelve people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting spree at a Texas military base by what officials believe was possibly carried out by two and possibly three gunmen.

Gunman kills at least 7 and wounds 12 at Fort Hood.One gunman was killed and two other suspects have been apprehended, Lt. Robert W. Cone said.

The dead gunman was a member of the Army, Cone said, and used two handguns. He wasn't sure if he reloaded the weapons during the attack.

Sources tell ABC News that the shooter was an officer, which means he's ranked higher than a sergeant.

The general called the attack "a terrible tragedy, stunning." He said the community was "absolutely devastated."

The extent of the injuries of victims "varies significantly," according to Cole.

Cole said the motive for the attack, which took place just after 1:30 p.m. CT, is still unclear.

Fort Hood, located just 60 miles north from Austin, is the largest U.S. military installation in the world, and has suffered the greatest number of caualities of all American bases in the war on Iraq.

The base is a 340 sq. mile facility located in Killeen, Texas and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division, which was one of the first groups of soldiers deployed to Iraq.

The military said today that "more than one shooter" opened fire in the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center and the Howze Theater on the base.

The processing center is where soldiers go to get last minute dental and medical clearance before going to war.

The Howze Theater was scheduled to hold a college graduation service this afternoon. According to a base newspaper, the Fort Hood newspaper, the ceremony was supposed to recognized soldiers and family members who had missed commencement ceremonies due to deployments.

Schools on the base has also been placed on lockdown. A message on Fort Hood's public affairs office Web site reads, "Organizations/units are instructed to execute a 100 percent accountability of all personnel. This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation."

According to a source on the base, it is rare for firearms to be on the base because they are locked up.

Homeland Security said it is still gathering information and that the "Army is taking the lead" as of now. FBI agents from Waco and Austin, Texas, are being deployed to the scene.

An army spokesman said that unit commanders have been instructed to account for all of their personnel.

"The immediate concern is to make sure that all of our soldiers and family members are save and that's what commanders have been instructed to do," said Jay Adams of First Army, Division West, located at Fort Hood.

The CounterTerrorist Unit said they have "no word" yet on whether this incident was terrorism-related.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Here we go....



MSNBC twitter; NBC's Pete Williams: A U.S. official identifies one shooter as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan

[lesfunk]

A Muslim? Now that's a surprise.

[Nitro Express]

Now you are going to see the conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones say the shooter was a mind controlled New World Order drone adding to the chaos so they can clamp down and bring order.

That being said, it's a sad tragedy.

[chefcraig]

Here we go....



MSNBC twitter; NBC's Pete Williams: A U.S. official identifies one shooter as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan

Army says 12 dead, 31 injured at Fort Hood
Gunman killed, two suspects — all soldiers — in custody in Texas incident

A U.S. soldier opened fire Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas, killing at least 11 people and wounding 31 others, military officials said. The gunman was shot to death, and two other soldiers were in custody.

NBC News’ Pete Williams reported that a U.S. official identified the gunman as Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, who was 39 or 40. Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of the Army’s III Corps, who briefed President Barack Obama on the shootings, said he used two handguns.

A defense official told The Associated Press that Hasan was a mental health professional — either a psychologist or a psychiatrist — but that it was not known whether he was treating people at the base. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, said military officials told her that the gunman was about to be deployed to Iraq and was “upset about it.”

It was unclear why the two other soldiers were taken into custody. A senior administration official told NBC News that the shootings could have been a criminal matter rather than a terrorism-related attack and that there was no intelligence to suggest a plot against Fort Hood.

Military and local hospital officials said the victims were a mixture of men and women, military and civilian. At least one of those killed was a civilian police officer, Cone said. At least four local SWAT officers were among those wounded, NBC affiliate KCEN-TV of Waco reported.

Two of the victims remained in surgery late Thursday afternoon at Metroplex Hospital in Killeen. One of them, a woman, is an emergency medical worker the base, the hospital said.

Fort Hood, one of the largest military complexes in the world, was on lockdown, as were schools in the area. Dozens of agents of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the post, federal officials said.

And naturally...

Muslim group condemns shootings
Speaking in Washington, Obama called the shootings a “horrific incident.”

“It’s difficult enough when we lose these great Americans in battles overseas,” Obama said at the Interior Department. “It’s horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.”

Noting the Arabic nature of the gunman’s name, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington interest group, condemned “this cowardly attack in the strongest terms possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of the law.”

”No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence,” the council said in a statement. “The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer army that protects our nation. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured.”

More at Army: 12 dead, 31 wounded at Fort Hood - Crime & courts- msnbc.com

[FORD]

A 39 year old Major and psychiatrist. Recently transferred in from Walter Reed. Specialty was traumatic stress.

In other words, this was the guy who heard all the Hellish war stories from all the guys who came back from Chimpy's illegal wars. And was recently told he had to go there himself.

Dunno if he just snapped, or what. But I doubt his religious beliefs were the cause.

[kwame k]

What a fucking tragedy..........not even in a war zone, in the USA, and on an Army base.......senseless.

[Nitro Express]

What a fucking tragedy..........not even in a war zone, in the USA, and on an Army base.......senseless.

Some parts of the USA are a warzone. Detroit comes to mind.

[kwame k]

Some parts of the USA are a warzone. Detroit comes to mind.

Nicely played, sir!

[lesfunk]

. I doubt his religious beliefs were the cause.

Me too. I just said what I said to get it out of the way