Answers Sought in Ft. Hood Shooter Rampage

Army Psychiatrist Reportedly Upset Over Deployment Is Lone Suspect in Shooting That Killed 13; In Stable Condition

(CBS/AP)  Last Updated 2:21 p.m. ET

President Barack Obama said Friday the entire nation is grieving for those slain at Fort Hood, and he urged people not to jump to conclusions while law enforcement officers investigate yesterday's deadly shooting at a U.S. military base in Texas.

"We don't know all the answers yet. And I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts," Mr. Obama said in a Rose Garden statement otherwise devoted to the economy.

"What we do know is that there are families, friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday," the president said.

Special Section: Tragedy at Fort Hood

Federal, state and local law authorities are joining in the investigation of Thursday's deadly rampage, in which a military psychiatrist facing deployment overseas allegedly opened fire, killing 13 people, before being shot by a first responder.

One of the 13 dead was a civilian.

Thirty people were also wounded, with half of those hospitalized requiring surgery, Army officials said. They are all in stable condition.

The shooting suspect was identified as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood's base commander, told CBS's "The Early Show" that the suspect was shot at least twice inside a building on the base, then left the building to pursue his victims as they tried to flee, firing off more rounds. Hasan was shot a total of four times during the rampage, and was initially reported to have been killed.

He is on a ventilator at a civilian hospital, under guard, and is in stable condition.

All indications are there was a single shooter, and Hasan the sole suspect, said Col. John Rossi, Deputy Commanding General - Fires and Effects at Fort Hood, although a senior U.S. official did not rule out the possibility of ties to a radical group.

Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith that the alleged gunman is rumored to have said "Allahu Akbar" - Arabic for "God is great!" - during the shooting, but was unable to confirm that information.

At this morning's press conference officials could not confirm that the shooter said anything during the half-hour-long incident.

Though the base is no longer under lockdown, it is operating at a heightened level of security. "We are fully confident in the security of this installation and remain so," said Rossi.

The Army is providing the post with additional grief counselors, chaplains, and public affairs support. Rossi also said this morning that about 90% of the families of victims have been notified so far.

The violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base. "This has been a tragic incident, and our hearts and prayers go out to all of those who have been impacted by this tragedy," said Rossi.

As of Friday afternoon, the names of four of the dead have been released:

• Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, a 22-year-old Oklahoma native, has served three and a half years in the Army, including a tour in Iraq. Hunt was married two months ago.

• Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, from Kiel, Wis., was with the Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment. She had arrived at Fort Hood just two days before the shooting, according to her mother, Jeri Krueger, and was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan in December.

• Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, from Salt Lake City, Utah, enlisted in the Army in October 2008 and was to be deployed to Afghanistan next January as part of the 5/10th Engineering Company, 20th Infantry Battalion, 36th Engineering Brigade.

• Pfc. Michael Pearson, 21, of Bolingbrook, Ill. A neighbor in the suburb of Chicago told the Associated Press that the family has "lost their gem."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today a memorial service will be scheduled at the convenience of families who lost loved ones, and that President Obama would attend.

Military officials say they are still piecing together what may have pushed Hasan, an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress, to turn on his comrades.

Federal authorities seized the suspect's computer and are looking for clues that may have led to the military massacre.

Cone says Hasan was not known to be a threat or risk, and that military officials will interrogate him as soon as possible.

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:

Hasan Likely "Lone Wolf," Officials Say
Hasan Reportedly Felt U.S. Attacked Islam
List of Fort Hood Dead, Wounded
Neighbor: Ft. Hood Suspect Packed Up Home
"Allahu Akbar": Hasan's Words as He Fired?
Mosques Up Security in Wake of Ft. Hood
Obama: Don't Jump to Conclusions
Hasan's Actions "Despicable," Family Says
Female Cop Hailed as Ft. Hood Hero
Store's Video May Show Ft. Hood Suspect
U.S. Army Base Violence Has Bloody History
Tragedy at Fort Hood

Fort Hood spokesman Christopher 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.

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.

Statement From Suspect's Family

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.

He is an American citizen of Jordanian descent, and a lifelong Muslim.

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.

Military officials say Hasan worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. (where he did his internship, residency and a fellowship) 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.

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.

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," Mr. Obama said.

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.

[jayrod0224]

Hey yuquan1990, No one gives a crap about what you are selling, you must be one of those ragheads that were selling stuff at the Haji Marts in Iraq. Go Home and Never Come Back! We do not want people like you to stay in America, GO HOME. And take your raghead buddies with you.

[revlin1]

How about the truth CBS? You mention he was UPSET over deployment...UH OH...He wasn't upset over deployment UNLESS HE WOULD BE ASKED TO KILL FELLOW MUSLIMS...He verbally stood up AGAINST the deployments of his fellow soldiers and God only knows what he told the poor souls he "counseled"...he could've caused grave problems for those at Walter Reed who were wounded by his own self-proclaimed, "brothers"...SINCE WHEN has it become politically correct to protect a MUSLIM TERRORIST in the form of any solider or whomever it might be on American soil? Tell it like it is...What would you be writing CBS if an American CHRISTIAN soldier who attended say a Baptist church went beserk and KILLED innocents on an Army base? Would you continue to call for OUTLAW of bibles and any Christianity among the forces? What would happen if any other PROTECTED GROUP (by you the LAME STREAM MEDIA) SHOT it out on a military base? You would go to the defense of the SHOOTER and forget the havoc caused by the victimizer....This is an act of terrorism on U.S. soil and unfortunately this act and our responses nationwide just might embolden others (Muslims) in the same category....When will the (lsm-lamestream media) get it that Arabs in America are ONE in their anti-Israeli and PRO palestinian and anti=US in the middle east sentiments? These American Arabs could be Muslim or Christian (some families containt both practicing strains) and believe it or not...the pressure on them to continue the ANTI Bush bashing and "poor me" mentality after 9/11 continues....Fool me once; shame on you...Fool me twice; shame on ME...

[edmundsingleton]

Where are all those soldiers who teased and harassed Nidal Hasan for being a Muslim in the American army, still out there teasing and harassing, waiting for the next batch of American Muslims...

[revlin1]

to edmundsingleton: Don't be a simpleton...no soldiers harrassed or teased this guy...they wouldn't even take the time..If the guy was openly touting his Anti-American sentiment, he opened himself up for dialogue and sorry to say; it is still America: We can BELIEVE AND HAVE AN OPINION that we want to have..It if hurts your feelings...TOUGH..We've all been there...and we aren't Muslims....ie; (Christian, fat, lazy, White, Illegals, politicians, etc...get what I mean?) We could all curl up and FEEL BAD for how we are treated after we spout off on a subject inappropriately....then what: DO WE GO OUT AND SHOOT OTHERS TO MAKE OUR POINT? And, do we go on websites to post Jihadist statements or purchase weapons to target those who criticize us or ridicule us? Go into a public middle school or high school for a day and see how many kids of all races, genders and kind are given over to some form of criticism or ridicule...hardly anyone escapes it in a free society....

[Loreneberly]

This Representative Republic; needs to elect Representatives; with copyright; founded; on demands; of Natural Law: what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world, God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce.
Demanding every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church; markets the cost; in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of every workers, consumers, and taxpayers living (including pension and health care); enabling parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide for every child (job) they conceive; and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money derived from wages or independent business profit.

[2008roger]

Good thing for gun control and the ban on assault rifles. If everyone was armed 13 innocent people wouldn't be dead and the scum bag would be.

[souljam76]

This is a time I wish President Bush was still in the White House. I think he would've addressed the nation on the major networks in the Oval Office at 8PM Eastern Time on the day of the shooting & would execute the shooter/killer (especially since the shooter/killer has been converted to Islam). This also happened at President Bush's home state. Obama should've done the same thing but he didn't

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

LOL!!!

We can't spell S-T-U-P-I-D without U!!!

[missme4]

"What we do know is that there are families, friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday,"


Maybe this is how the Afghanistan people feel every time one of the american drones wipes out a bunch of their children?

[lulucleo]

When is our govt going to realize these people are not going to stop killing Americans? The military needs to screen out people with the potential to harm us, BEFORE it's too late. Sorry, but racial profiling in this case is an absolute MUST

[eiddam]

There are more american lunitics that are killing our own in all the work places, schools, shopping centers, or blowing up buildings like McVeigh, than muslims going on a rampage, Our country is running rampant with all kinds of crimes including murder in the past 8 years that be had a republican presiden, who said God choose him to be our leader. I guess God was not pleased with what he was doing, so he has punished us all, and gave us Beck,Palin, and Michele.

[YrStillWrong]

What a pathetic load of anti-American lunatics post here.

[krmopilci]

America needs to change.

[missme4]

"America needs to change."

America IS changing. It needs to change back!