Army: Shooting Suspect Was Bound For Afghanistan

Army: Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Was To Be Deployed To Afghanistan As Combat Stress Counselor

(AP)  WASHINGTON (AP) - An Army spokeswoman says the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings had been scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan to counsel soldiers suffering from combat stress.

Army spokeswoman Col. Cathy Abbott says Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an active-duty military psychiatrist, was to deploy with an Army Reserve unit that provides what the military calls "behavioral health" counseling.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Hasan sought the assignment or was being sent against his wishes.

Authorities say Hasan went on a shooting spree Thursday at the Texas Army post, leaving 13 people dead and 30 wounded.