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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