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Twelve dead in shooting at Fort Hood military base | World News | News.com.au
Twelve dead in shooting at Fort Hood military base
By staff writers and wires
news.com.au
November 06, 2009 10:38am
Special forces soldiers with the US Army's 4th Infantry Division train at Fort Hood in this 2003 file picture / AFP
Fort Hood is the largest US military base in the world / Google
GUNMEN have killed 11 people and wounded at least 31 in a rampage at Fort Hood military base in Texas.
The primary gunman, a soldier armed with two handguns, was shot dead in the aftermath of the attack, taking the overall death toll to 12.
He has been named as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan. The Associated Press said a defence official had said he was a mental health professional - an Army psychologist or psychiatrist.
Army investigators have identified two other suspects, also soldiers, according to Fort Hood commanding general Bob Cone.
"It's a terrible tragedy, it’s stunning," he said.
The Fort Hood base remains in lockdown and the FBI is running background checks on the suspected gunmen.
The bloodbath unfolded at the Soldier Readiness Centre, where troops undergo final medical checks prior to their deployment, Lieutenant Cone said.
He said there was no clear motive and that one civilian police officer was among the dead.
Graduation
US media reports said the shooting happened about 30 minutes before a scheduled graduation hearing.
Local congressman John Carter told MSNBC television: "I had a man on the scene, who is my regional director and former chaplin at Fort Hood, waiting to go to a graduation ceremony when a soldier came running up to him saying, 'Sir, don't go over there. They are - somebody is shooting over there','' Mr Carter said.
"When the soldier ran by him, he saw the soldier didn't know it, but he was wounded.
"So, he went into the building and they stopped him, because he had been shot.
"He heard small arms and some rifle fire while he was there and that he thought they had one person that they had caught but there may be more, he didn't know.
"He understood there was more than one, that was all he said.''
Fort Hood is the largest US military base in the world and had been working to rehabilitate many soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, he said.
Army personnel told a Fox news affiliate they were not sure if the victims were civilians or military personnel.
A message on Fort Hood's website - the headquarters of the Army 3rd Corps, the 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division - said it was closed, but gave no further details. All those units have seen extensive duty in Iraq.
"Effective immediately. Fort Hood is closed. Organisations/units are instructed to execute a 100 per cent accountability of all personnel. This is not a drill. It is an emergency situation," the website said.
Schools in the area were also on lockdown, MSNBC said.
President Barack Obama said the shooting was "a horrific outburst of violence".
"My immediate prayers are with the families of the fallen."
US coverage: Fox News
Twelve dead in shooting at Fort Hood military base
By staff writers and wires
news.com.au
November 06, 2009 10:38am
- Twelve dead in shooting at Fort Hood
- Two gunmen caught, another among dead
- In pictures: Tragedy in Texas
GUNMEN have killed 11 people and wounded at least 31 in a rampage at Fort Hood military base in Texas.
The primary gunman, a soldier armed with two handguns, was shot dead in the aftermath of the attack, taking the overall death toll to 12.
He has been named as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan. The Associated Press said a defence official had said he was a mental health professional - an Army psychologist or psychiatrist.
Army investigators have identified two other suspects, also soldiers, according to Fort Hood commanding general Bob Cone.
"It's a terrible tragedy, it’s stunning," he said.
The Fort Hood base remains in lockdown and the FBI is running background checks on the suspected gunmen.
The bloodbath unfolded at the Soldier Readiness Centre, where troops undergo final medical checks prior to their deployment, Lieutenant Cone said.
He said there was no clear motive and that one civilian police officer was among the dead.
Graduation
US media reports said the shooting happened about 30 minutes before a scheduled graduation hearing.
Local congressman John Carter told MSNBC television: "I had a man on the scene, who is my regional director and former chaplin at Fort Hood, waiting to go to a graduation ceremony when a soldier came running up to him saying, 'Sir, don't go over there. They are - somebody is shooting over there','' Mr Carter said.
"When the soldier ran by him, he saw the soldier didn't know it, but he was wounded.
"So, he went into the building and they stopped him, because he had been shot.
"He heard small arms and some rifle fire while he was there and that he thought they had one person that they had caught but there may be more, he didn't know.
"He understood there was more than one, that was all he said.''
Fort Hood is the largest US military base in the world and had been working to rehabilitate many soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, he said.
Army personnel told a Fox news affiliate they were not sure if the victims were civilians or military personnel.
A message on Fort Hood's website - the headquarters of the Army 3rd Corps, the 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division - said it was closed, but gave no further details. All those units have seen extensive duty in Iraq.
"Effective immediately. Fort Hood is closed. Organisations/units are instructed to execute a 100 per cent accountability of all personnel. This is not a drill. It is an emergency situation," the website said.
Schools in the area were also on lockdown, MSNBC said.
President Barack Obama said the shooting was "a horrific outburst of violence".
"My immediate prayers are with the families of the fallen."
US coverage: Fox News