Tragic, Breaking News:Thirteen people have been killed and 30 wounded in a shooting spree at the Fort Hood military base near sleepy Killeen, Texas. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families. Let's all take a moment and offer our condolences to the stricken families.
Now, let's attempt to understand what happened. The suspected gunman in the Fort Hood shooting has been identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a U.S. born American Citizen, only 39 years old, born in Virginia. The shooter was initially reported to have been killed, but Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone told a late night news conference that the suspect was wounded and in custody. Cone would not say what Hasan's medical condition was, but said the suspect was not in danger of dying. Hasan allegedly opened fire, using two civilian handguns, and killed 12 people on the base before he was shot.
The general said there were "eyewitness accounts of more than one shooter," and the others were tracked to an adjacent facility. Currently two other men are being questioned about this incident, however, they have just been released (6pm CT). One other man was just picked up for questioning, but we do not know if he was involved.
Hasan was well regarded in the Army. He was recently promoted to Major. He was stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital before being transferred to Fort Hood. Hasan attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Osteopathy and later finished his residency as a psychiatrist. In 2009, Hasan completed a fellowship in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry at the Center for Traumatic Stress. Hasan had been at Fort Hood just a few short months. He only recently received notice he was being deployed to Iraq and was not happy about it. He voiced his concerns to his commanders.
The Army is saying this is an isolated incident and should be regarded as such. They are saying this is not a terroristic act.
Let's stop and take a breath and try to understand what happened. My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the families of the wounded and the dead. My heart is broken for them. This should not have happened, especially at an Army base on U.S. soil. Second, this suspect, was a psychiatrist who treated people with PST. He was recently promoted. So obviously, those in his ranks determined he deserved promotion. Third, his major was in PST. So we know he dealt constantly with those who suffered from PST. Finally: PLEASE --- DO NOT BLAME ALL MUSLIM-AMERICANS for this crime. The only criminal is the perpetrator. I've been reading some extremist sites and it looks like they want to blame this crime on ALL Muslims. Let's nip this in the bud. The perp is the perp and law enforcement has him under arrest. (Note: initial reports, including mine, said he was killed, but now reports say he was not).
Let's wait for law enforcement to conduct their complete investigation before any of us become angry or place judgement, although now things are a bit different knowing the perp is still alive.
God Bless America! God Bless Our Families!
Let's Seek Peace in the World!
References:
12 People Killed and 31 Wounded in Fort Hood Shooting
US Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan Identified As Primary Shooter At Fort Hood
and, local news reports.
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10 comments:
The perp is not dead. He is alive as stated by the Gen in his interview.
Liquid,
You are right.
I made the updates.
Was listening too much to cable news vs reading the reports. They too have made the updates.
Rossi, during the morning briefing, praised Sgt. Kimberly Munley, a civilian cop who exchanged gunfire with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and plugged him four times - even though she had already been shot.
"She did a remarkable job," Rossi said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_susptected_gunman_in_fort_hood_shooting_maj_nidal_malik_hasan_shouted_allah_akba.html#ixzz0W5jSDsQv
Witnesses described Hasan, who was wearing an Army uniform during the assault, as steely calm. He paused only to reload one of his handguns. Hasan lay motionless after the shooting, leading officials to mistakenly believe he was dead.
The death toll from the murderous attack rose from 12 to 13 early Friday after a woman died from gunshot wounds. Rossi said 28 people were recovering from their injuries.
The gunman, an Army shrink who specialized in combat stress, was about to be deployed to Afghanistan. Sources close to him said he objected to going to battle against other Muslims.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_susptected_gunman_in_fort_hood_shooting_maj_nidal_malik_hasan_shouted_allah_akba.html#ixzz0W5k3qYQz
The enigma: he is a deeply religious man (???)
Washington post is reporting:
He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war. Yesterday, authorities said Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a 39-year-old Arlington-born psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex.
In an interview, his aunt, Noel Hasan of Falls Church, said he had endured name-calling and harassment about his Muslim faith for years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and had sought for several years to be discharged from the military.
"I know what that is like," she said. "Some people can take it, and some cannot. He had listened to all of that, and he wanted out of the military, and they would not let him leave even after he offered to repay" for his medical training.
An Army spokesman, Lt. Col. George Wright, said he could not confirm that Hasan (pronounced Hass-in) requested a discharge.
As authorities scrambled to figure out what happened at Fort Hood, a hazy and contradictory picture emerged of this son of Palestinian immigrants, a man who received his medical training from the military and spent his career in the Army, yet allegedly turned so violently against his uniformed colleagues.
Hasan was born in Arlington and grew up in the Roanoke Valley of southwestern Virginia, a bookish young man who, his father hoped, would go on to significant professional achievement. He spent nearly all of his Army medical career at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District, caring for the victims of trauma, yet he spoke openly of his deep opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Officials said Hasan, who was shot during the rampage, is on a ventilator at a nearby civilian hospital in stable condition, Army officials said Friday. Investigators have not been able to question him.
Sorry for the victims and their families.
I think that security measures can be improved so that these tragedies don't occur, or become increasingly difficult.
After the news cycle has passed, we can study in calm, without emotions the life of this man, his childhood, adolescence, career orientation, friends, etc ...
This is the first time that something of this kind happens in a U. S. Military installation, in Continental America, in any of the States.
Unfortunately we have seen too many tragedies of victims that are killed by a shooter.
My condolences to the the families and to all Texans like Dee.
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
I am glad he is alive and I'm sure the Army is making every heroic effort known to medicine to keep him alive. I want him to face judgment here on earth for what he did. Right now we know one thing. He is a cold blooded murderer of innocent people.
Kudos to Officer Munley for her agressive action to stop the slaughter even as she was wounded herself. She is a real heroine.
While Major Malik may have been harassed at one time or another over his religion,that is not news to anyone who has endured bullying or religious persecution or harassment. The Army spent a bundle on educating him and expected him to fulfill the commitment to serve that was part of the deal.
While it would be wrong to impugn the loyalty of all Muslims based on this incident, the episode does illustrate the dilemma they face when called upon to be loyal to their mission regardless of who is on the other side of the parapet.
I agree Ultima. Kudos to Officer Munley! She is brave. She is a heroine.
This is a prime example of PC gone array and why people should be profiled sometimes.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573469,00.html
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