Nov. 6, 2009
Soldier Opens Fire at Ft. Hood; 13 Dead
Lone Suspect, Army Psychiatrist Reportedly Upset Over Upcoming Deployment, In "Stable but Serious" Condition
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Play CBS Video Video 'Ft. Hood Gunman Still Alive' In a surprise revelation, Ft. Hood base commander Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said that the soldier allegedly behind a massive killing spree is in fact still alive, despite previous reports that he was dead.
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Video What Happened at Ft. Hood? A civilian who was present at the Ft. Hood army base during the shooting spree recounts her experiences to Katie Couric as army officials placed the base on lock down security.
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Video Aftermath Of Ft. Hood Video released by the Department of Defense, shows the immediate aftermath of the deadly shooting at Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas.
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Twelve people were killed and 31 injured when a soldier opened fire at the Fort Hood army post in Killeen, Tex. Nov. 5, 2009. (CBS)
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Twelve people were killed and 31 injured when a soldier opened fire at the Fort Hood army post in Killeen, Tex. Nov. 5, 2009. (CBS/ AP)
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Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, commander of the U.S. Army Post at Fort Hood. (CBS)
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Fort Hood is the largest activity duty armored post in the United States. (CBS)
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Photo Essay Tragedy at Fort Hood Soldier opens fire at Texas military base
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Interactive Military 101 Basic training to learn all about America's fighting force.
A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 13 people and left 30 wounded, Army officials said.
Authorities said immediately after the shootings that they had killed the suspected shooter, but later in the evening they recanted and said that he was alive and in stable condition at a hospital, watched by a guard.
Captain Isaac Taylor, a spokesman at Fort Hood, confirmed to CBS News early Friday morning that one additional victim had died of wounds sustained in the attack after hospitalization, raising the death toll to 13. At least 30 others were wounded, according to Taylor.
The shooting suspect was identified as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.
Haug said Hasan was in "stable but serious" condition at a nearby hospital, under guard by law enforcement authorities. Army officials, "don't believe he's in a condition to speak," added Haug.
The violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.
More coverage of the tragedy at Fort Hood:
Store Video May Show Shooter
Ft. Hood Suspect ID'd as Army Psychiatrist
Soldier Opens Fire at Ft. Hood; 13 Dead
Anti-Muslim Backlash Immediate
Sources: Hasan Web Posts Drew FBI Interest
Fort Hood Rampage Suspect Sill Alive
What was Shooter's Motive?
U.S. Army Base Violence Has Bloody History
Obama: Fort Hood Shooting "Horrific"
Fast Facts: Fort Hood
Tragedy at Fort Hood
Haug said Friday that the guns used in the attack were believed to be Hasan's "own private firearms".
It was unclear what the motive was, though it appeared he was upset about a scheduled deployment. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.
Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, commander of Fort Hood, told CBS' "Early Show" there were reports that Hasan was saying, "Allahu Akbar," or "God is Great," as he shot people in a "calm and measured" manner.
Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith that the suspect was shot at least twice inside a building on the base, then he left the building to pursue his victims as they tried to flee, firing off more rounds.
In a statement released to the media Thursday night, Hasan's family said they were "shocked and saddened by the terrible events at Fort Hood."
The full statement from the unnamed cousin said: "Nidal was an American citizen. He was born in Arlington, Virginia and raised here in America. He attended local high schools and eventually went on to attend Virginia Tech. We are filled with grief for the families of today's victims. Our family loves America. We are proud of our country, and saddened by today's tragedy. Because this situation is still unfolding, we have nothing else that we are able to share with you at this time."
Faizul Khan, a former imam at a mosque Hasan attended in Silver Spring, Maryland, said he spoke often with Hasan about how Hasan wanted to find a wife. Hasan was a lifelong Muslim and attended prayers regularly, often in his Army uniform, Khan said.
Video from a convenience store that reportedly shows Hasan making a purchase just hours before the alleged attack shows him wearing a shalwar kameez, a traditional robe worn primarily in Afhganistan and Pakistan - but not in the Arab world where Hasan has his roots.
CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports that, possibly even more telling about the shop video, is that the man in the video is wearing all white, a color associated in Islam with death or mourning.
Hasan, 39, is a licensed psychiatrist who has lived in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Md. and various places in Virginia, where he grew up. A spokesman for Texas Sen. Hutchison said Hasan was upset about an upcoming deployment to Iraq.
The victims of the shooting have not been identified but Cone said Thursday night that the slain included U.S. soldiers and a civilian police officer working at the base. He said that no children had been killed to his knowledge.
"It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said. "Soldiers and family members and many of the great civilians that work here are absolutely devastated."
The wounded are dispersed among several central Texas hospitals and the extent of their injuries varied, Cone said.
President Obama, speaking before a scheduled event in Washington, said, "It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."
"I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers. We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," Obama said.
Read more of President Obama's remarks
at CBSNews.com's Political Hotsheet blog
The Army post was locked down until at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, but Cone said that all of the deaths and injuries had taken place during the initial 1:30 p.m. incident and that authorities were simply exercising and abundance of caution in lifting the lockdown.
FBI agents have responded to the base and the military is asking the FBI's help in investigating the backgrounds of the two soldiers held as suspects in the shooting, Cone said.
A law enforcement official says investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name, or if he changed his name and converted to Islam at some point in his life.
Military officials say Hasan worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials had access to Hasan's military record. They said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed.
He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
During the attack, terrified military families turned to Twitter to find out what was happening, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.
One tweet read, "locked in my post housing, scared, don't know where the shooters are." Another: "haven't heard warning sirens in about 15 minutes, just waiting to get to my husband. And a third, capturing the shock brought on by today's attack: "i thought i was living in one of the safest places ever."
(AP/CBS/Army & Air Force ESRI)
At the Soldier Readiness Center, soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening - on average about 300-400 screened a day, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood.
A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in an auditorium at the Readiness Center at the time of the shooting, said Lampam said.
Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter's regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, a Carter spokesman said.
Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said. Stone said he believes Schanepp was in the theater.
"I was here for a 2 p.m. graduation," Schannep, a retired Army colonel,
"I heard three or four volleys of shots with eight to 12 shots in each volley. Initially, I thought it was a training exercise," he said.
The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in March, 10 killed during a gunman's rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
In May, a U.S. soldier opened fire at a counseling center on a U.S. military base in Iraq, killing five fellow soldiers. An investigation showed that that shooter had shown signs of mental problems for months.
And Fort Hood itself has a history of violent incidents, reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.
CBS Evening News: U.S. Army Base Violence Has Bloody History
Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
A woman interviewed by CBS affiliate KWTX in Waco shortly after the shooting said that news of the shooting had reached her husband and other U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq.
At 2 p.m. emergency responders en route to Fort Hood were told that their planned staging area, Soldier's Dome, was not safe to use, the Temple Daily Telegram
Banks said it is too soon to tell whether there is any link to battle stress or repeated deployments. The Army is suffering a record high suicide rate and other signs of stress from fighting two wars.
In a statement, Hutchison said, "I am shocked and saddened by today's outburst of violence at Fort Hood that has cost seven of our brave service members their lives and has gravely injured others. My heart goes out to their loved ones. Our dedicated military personnel have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and it sickens me that the men and women of Fort Hood have been subjected to this senseless, random violence."
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.
The base is home to nine schools - seven elementary schools and two middle schools - and all were on lockdown, said Killeen school spokesman Todd Martin.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said Texas Rangers and state troopers were en route to Fort Hood to help seal the perimeter of the 108,000 acre base.
Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood. It has been continuously used for armored training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- Read the scripture, if u have a problem with it, take it to the man upstairs. Unless ur not a follower of Christ, then...never mind. If u are, then u know we will all answer for what we do. Including the 3 Stooges that started all this with their lies, illegal invasion of a sovereign Nation, kidnappings, rape, murders of innocent people, torture and last but not least, occupation. I believe Hitler did all of that too, but at least he was "elected" leader by an overwhelming majority, not "appointed Dictator". And by the way, incase theres any uninformed people left out there, Bush is NOT from Texas, neither is H.W., they are from the Great state of Conn., as Bush himself said in his interview with Katie C...quote....he is the ONLY Dictator in U.S. history to lose his "home" state. And I agree, our forefathers probably are turning in their graves, since all our Constitutional Rights were taken away, ignored or trampled on during the last 8 years of dictatorship.(especially illegal search & seizure) Seems we're much more like the countries we're fighting than a Free country since 911. So whos winning 8 years & trillions of dollars later ??? Also, as far as this guy or anyone else being a muslim, thats exactly what all those guys and gals are supposed to be fighting & dieing for...freedom of religion(or not). To sum up, noone has the right to take a life except the one whos name alone is Jehovah, not in the name of Peace, the death penalty or because he has problems with the military he chose to join....later dudes, Peace Out !! : )
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- my my my you socialist libs make up excuses for everyone-here's a hint that he was a terorist- his shouting out 'allah akbar' that is the dead giveaway- he was a traitor. what are we ,mice that these paganized ppl can frighten us? they know we don't have real men at the capitol. instead we elected someone who can't and doesn't care to make decisions for military build-up in afghan and who has islamic leanings himself- our forefathers would be ashamed of who we are today. we are falling from the enemies within
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- If (Maj) Nidal Malik Hasan is guilty as reported, he is the worst kind of cowardly terrorist. He betrayed his country to a made-up ideology only excreted by the likes of the Taliban or al-Qaeda or Timothy McVeigh's crowd. Even the Taliban are not going around killing their own unarmed soldiers right now. (Maj) Hasan is quoted as saying he did not want to kill his Muslim brothers. Please do not make ridiculous excuses for this coward. He knows and every soldier knows that medical psychologist would NOT be running around with a weapon outside the wire. If he was going to have enemy contact during his deployment, it would have only been accidental. Even then, the good soldiers around him would have laid down their life to protect him from his "Muslim brothers". One more question for the cowardly Major: what do you think your Muslim brothers are doing in Afghanistan who are on the side of freedom from the Taliban tyranny? They are killing terrorist -- not Muslim brothers.
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- Teach a man to kill....Violence begets violence.... "...those who (choose to) live by the sword shall surely parish by the sword.J.C. (Matthew 25:52). I would be willing to bet good money that a psychiatrist(Hasan) with access to drugs was on pharmaceuticals, not unlike the Virginia Tech shooter, the Columbine killers, even going back to Charles Whitman ('66 shooter @ U.T.), Susan Smith (drowned her 5 children), Phil Hartmans wife, Richard Jennings, all the thousands of Veterans who have committed suicide since Bush started these wars (as reported by CBS). These are just a few and just some that we know for sure were on prescription drugs. Seems like thats the common denominator once these powerful drugs are (over) prescribed....There are NO safe drugs
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- Fanatical behaviour can NEVER BE RIGHT. Individual liberty is of primary importance, and a culture, a nation, an institution or a marriage. If each of us is not an individual, then we are nothing. No person, male or female, no matter what religion or anti-religion, has the right to snuff out the life of any other, for any reason. To do so is to label one's self "out of control". Out of control must end in disaster. Control is all we have to survive interdependently.
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- the shooter didnt want to hurt muslims but he can mow down innocent american soldiers??? whats wrong with this picture? will the liberal media feel sorry for him because he didnt want to go to war?? well, what if it was their mother or father or pregmant daughter that was killed?? would they still feel the same??? I hope he lives and spends the rest of his life being persecuted in prison. no pity felt for this heartless bastard.
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- Too bad the shooter wasn't gay. The army would have seen what a threat he was and booted him out long ago.
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- Too bad the shooter wasn't gay. The army would have seen what a threat he was and booted him out long ago.
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- I just finished reading John Douglas' Anatomy of Motive and this guy fits all those things that he says a mass murderer does. He is a loner with no girlfriend. He chooses a career such as counselor. Other attractive ones to these types are cops, ministers, anything where they feel dominant over other people. He also went into the Army which is attractive to these types for its structure and the guns and the power associated with it. He has been feeling like society is beating up on him and he is entitled to make it pay. An emotional stressor is the trigger, like the possibility of deployment where he could be killed and would be out of his comfort zone. Islam is just the flag he wraps his justification around, to make people think he is being virtuous in his crime. This has nothing to do with Islam really. He could have done like the Unabomber and pretended that technology was the reason, but really, he just wanted to kill people and fantasized about it. Read that book, it is just fascinating!
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- So many thousands of people are teased on a daily basis. In fact, there is a story right now about 3 identical triplets burned and scarred, now being helped by a compassionate doctor. They related how they were teased in school.
When including all pieces of the puzzle (more to come), frequenting jihad websites and making Islam references prior to slaying our troops, gets closer to a motive, I would think.
News articles say he was to be deployed Nov 24, but looks like he gave everything away and did not plan for a place to stay, said his goodbyes...about 3 weeks early. Would that be premeditation? - Reply to this comment
- Whenever you go to war based on lies and made up proof with no end in sight, dont be surprised when this sort of thing happens.
the guy was obviously torn between 2 worlds.
it is most deffinitley a horrible act, a disgusting act.
but come on now this goes to show the insensitive society we live in.
he was teased in Texas and humiliated for being muslim, yet act surprised when he lashes out in a criminal maner.
where were his superiors? now its finger pointing all the way up.
seems the whole system failed and everyone is a victim all of a sudden. - Reply to this comment
- The US Taxpayers paid over $500,000 to put this murderer thru Va. Tech, 4 yrs. of medical school, 2 yrs. residency then 2 yrs interning while he was getting a six figure salary. After we paid his tab, he wants to get out of the US Army.
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- Have you read the quote from a woman who said she wished the killer's last name was 'Smith'?
That way we could keep up the Politically Correct fantasy that Islam is a peaceful religion and there aren't really Muslims out there who only want to kill as many Americans as possible. - Reply to this comment
- Obama said we should not jump to conclusions before the facts are in.
We need to ignore the fact that he is Muslim.
We need to ignore the fact that although he was born and raised in the US, he declares his nationality as Palastinian.
We need to ignore the fact that he yelled "Allah Akbar" as he slaughtere people.
We need to ignore the fact that he gave speeches how we shouldn't be at war in Muslim nations.
We need to ignore the fact that he said that suicide bombers are just as noble as soldiers who fall on a live grenade.
Yes, Obama wants us to wait until the Media convinces us that he was just another American Soldier who snapped. - Reply to this comment
- But can we find a motive?
Quote from link below:
It was Major Hasan, though, who increasingly felt let down by the military, and deeply conflicted by his religion, said those who knew him through the mosque. Duane Reasoner Jr., an 18-year-old substitute teacher whose parents worked at Fort Hood, said Major Hassan was told he would be sent to Afghanistan on Nov. 28, and he did not like it.
?He said he should quit the Army,? Mr. Reasoner said. ?In the Koran, you?re not supposed to have alliances with Jews or Christian or others, and if you are killed in the military fighting against Muslims, you will go to hell.?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33751407/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/ - Reply to this comment
- Notice how quickly the Media will call someone a 'right-wing extremist'
But when a radical Muslim commits mass murder, he's now just an American Soldier who snapped from the stress. - Reply to this comment
- Gosh, we just don't have a clue as to what prompted this guy to go on a mass killing rampage.
I mean, him yelling "Allah Akbar" couldn't be a clue.
And him giving a 'jarring presentation' in which he argued the war on terrorism was a war against Islam couldnt be a clue.
And him preaching about the value of suicide bombers couldn't be a clue.
Somehow the Media has to turn him into a typical American soldier who just snapped, because there are no clues as to why he would do this. - Reply to this comment
- The suspect was very comfortable financially in his position, earning $600,000 a year from our government.
He lived in an apartment, and no mention is made of his assets, except a car.
He seemed to live very simply.
It would be interesting to know if he invested, or contributed to any terrorist organizations.
I was shocked to find any reference to this tragedy buried on news pages.
Our leader has Muslim ties and was schooled in Islam.
http://www.danielpipes.org/5354/confirmed-barack-obama-practiced-islam
There is little information being released about the suspect.
It seems there is no new info being posted except cries and pleas that this suspect was a victim. - Reply to this comment
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- You could say the same that Madoff didn't seem like someone who stole $55 Billions. Was he sending the money to Israel, if your logic is true?
- Where do you get $600,00 a year? No Major comes close to earning that much...in fact, no general earns that much on pay alone. He is more in the vicinity of $100K a year. Check the current military pay tables. an 0-4, is an 0-4, is an 0-4...regardless of his occupational title. However, they are entitled to re-enlistment bonuses...NONE of which amount o $600K a year (including his salary).
- The problem here is RELIGION, for thousands of years people have been driking the cool-aid,creating cultural & racial divisions within our fellow humans.
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- I was shocked to find any reference to this tragedy buried on today's news pages.
Our leader has Muslim ties and was schooled in Islam.
http://www.danielpipes.org/5354/confirmed-barack-obama-practiced-islam
There is little information being released about the suspect. It seems there is no new info being posted except cries and pleas that this suspect was a victim. - Reply to this comment
The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces.
