YaMon
11-05-2009, 06:00 PM
Twelve Killed in Fort Hood Shootings
A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
FORT HOOD, Texas – The Army said a shooting rampage by three active-duty soldiers on the Fort Hood base in Texas left 12 people killed, including one of the shooters, and 31 others wounded
Confirmation that the three alleged shooters were all active sparked immediate concerns that the attack was preplanned and politically motivated, not a sudden act by a disturbed group of combat veterans. Those concerns have grown as U.S. officials confirm that one of the shooters was Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, a Muslim-American soldier.
A defense official said that there "were some signs that this might be an Akbar-type event," a reference to a bloody incident in early 2003 when Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar threw grenades into tents occupied by fellow members of the 101st Airborne Division.
Two officers were killed in the 2003 attack in Kuwait, which wounded 14 others. Military prosecutors said that Sgt. Akbar, who was ultimately sentenced to death, was motivated by anger at the deaths of Iraqi civilians at the hands of U.S. troops.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m. Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said that all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.
He said the alleged shooters used handguns in the attack.
An Army spokesman said the base was locked down after the shootings.
Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the U.S. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.
Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood, said a graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in the auditorium at the time of the shooting.
[Shootings] Associated Press
Daniel Clark hugs and comforts his wife Rachel Clark outside of Fort Hood. Daniel's daughter is in an elementary school on the post where it was locked down after the shooting happened on base.
President Barack Obama, speaking at an event in Washington, called the shootings a "horrific outburst of violence." He added, "My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen."
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.
A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
FORT HOOD, Texas – The Army said a shooting rampage by three active-duty soldiers on the Fort Hood base in Texas left 12 people killed, including one of the shooters, and 31 others wounded
Confirmation that the three alleged shooters were all active sparked immediate concerns that the attack was preplanned and politically motivated, not a sudden act by a disturbed group of combat veterans. Those concerns have grown as U.S. officials confirm that one of the shooters was Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, a Muslim-American soldier.
A defense official said that there "were some signs that this might be an Akbar-type event," a reference to a bloody incident in early 2003 when Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar threw grenades into tents occupied by fellow members of the 101st Airborne Division.
Two officers were killed in the 2003 attack in Kuwait, which wounded 14 others. Military prosecutors said that Sgt. Akbar, who was ultimately sentenced to death, was motivated by anger at the deaths of Iraqi civilians at the hands of U.S. troops.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m. Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said that all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.
He said the alleged shooters used handguns in the attack.
An Army spokesman said the base was locked down after the shootings.
Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the U.S. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.
Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood, said a graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in the auditorium at the time of the shooting.
[Shootings] Associated Press
Daniel Clark hugs and comforts his wife Rachel Clark outside of Fort Hood. Daniel's daughter is in an elementary school on the post where it was locked down after the shooting happened on base.
President Barack Obama, speaking at an event in Washington, called the shootings a "horrific outburst of violence." He added, "My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen."
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.