Army doctor kills 13 at US base, 'terror not ruled out'

Sat, Nov 7 06:48 AM

Investigators today began piecing together how and why they think an Army psychiatrist facing deployment to Afghanistan gunned down dozens of people yesterday at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, in one of the worst mass shootings ever on an American military base.

The gunman, identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was shot four times by a Fort Hood police officer responding to the scene. Hasan remained hospitalized on a ventilator but was in stable condition, Army officials said.

A day of mourning has been declared on the base for the 13 people killed — 12 soldiers and one civilian — and 28 wounded in the rampage, and US President Barack Obama said that flags at the White House and other federal buildings would fly at half-staff until Veteran's Day, "as a modest tribute to those who lost their lives." Obama said the whole country was grieving for the victims of the shooting, and asked people to avoid "jumping to conclusions" while the investigations continued.

A day after the shooting unfolded in a blur of contradictory reports from officials, many questions continued to burn about Hasan's life and his motives.

Reports suggested Hasan may have yelled something like "Allahu Akbar" just before the shooting. Family members said he had previously complained about being harassed because he was a Muslim and that he had expressed deep concerns about deployment. Army officials said Hasan had not caused any problems since transferring to the Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood this year.

In an interview on NBC's Today show, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, a base spokesman, was asked about the reports that Hasan said "Allahu Akbar." Cone said soldiers at the scene reported "similar" accounts. Cone said terrorism was not being ruled out but preliminary evidence did not suggest that the rampage had been an act of terrorism.

Fox News quoted a retired Army colonel, Terry Lee, as saying that Hasan, with whom he worked, had voiced hope that Obama would pull US troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, had argued with military colleagues who supported the wars and had tried to prevent his own deployment.

Col. John Rossi, an Army spokesman, said that investigators were examining whether Hasan had registered the two handguns used in the shooting. Hasan is the sole suspect.

Army officials said that about half the people injured in the shooting had undergone surgery, and all were in stable condition. They praised the police officer who shot Hasan, Kimberly Munley, saying she and her partner arrived within three minutes of reports of gunfire and put an end to the rampage. Munley, 34, was wounded.

The victims were cut down in clusters as Hasan, clad in a military uniform, sprayed bullets inside a crowded medical processing center for soldiers returning from or about to be sent overseas, military officials said.

Military records indicated that Hasan was single, had been born in Virginia, had never served abroad and listed "no religious preference" on his personnel records. Three other soldiers, their roles unclear, were taken into custody in connection with the rampage. The office of Representative John Carter, Republican of Texas, said they were later released, but a Fort Hood spokesman could not confirm that. General Cone said that more than 100 people had been questioned during the day.

Fort Hood, near Killeen and about a two hours' drive south of Dallas-Fort Worth, is the largest active duty military post in the United States, 340 square miles of training and support facilities and homes, a virtual city for more than 50,000 military personnel and some 150,000 family members and civilian support personnel. It has been a major centre for troops being deployed to or returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Both handguns used by Major Hasan were recovered at the scene, officials said. Investigators said the major's computers, cellphones and papers would be examined, his past investigated and his friends, relatives and military acquaintances would be interviewed to develop a profile. Security experts said the fact that two handguns had been used suggested premeditation, as opposed to a spontaneous act.

Rifles and assault weapons are conspicuous and not ordinarily seen on the streets of a military post, and medical personnel would have no reason to carry any weapon, they said. Moreover, security experts noted, it took a lot of ammunition to shoot so many people, another indication of premeditation.

It appeared certain that the shootings would generate a new look at questions of security on military posts of all the armed forces in the United States. Expressions of dismay were voiced by public officials across the country. The Muslim Public Affairs Council, speaking for many American Muslims, condemned the shootings as a "heinous incident" and said, "We share the sentiment of our president."

Fort Hood, opened in September 1942 as America geared up for World War II, was named for Gen. John Bell Hood of the Confederacy. It has been used continuously for armour training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.

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