Suspect Hospitalized In Fort Hood Shooting Rampage

FORT HOOD, Tex. -- A military mental health doctor who faced overseas deployment allegedly went on a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army Post near Killeen, killing 12 people and wounding 31 others before he was shot by civilian police, Army officials said Thursday.

Although authorities said immediately that the man accused of the shootings was killed, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said Thursday night that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was in custody and was hospitalized in stable condition.

"His death is not imminent," Cone said.

He offered little explanation for the mistake, saying there was confusion at the hospital.

Cone said that investigators can't rule out the possibility that terrorism was involved but "the evidence does not suggest that."

The shooting took place at the post's Soldier Readiness Center (SRC), Cone said in a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Nearly three dozen other people suffered various injuries and were transported to local hospitals. None of the injured were believed to be children.

Two other soldiers were arrested after the rampage, but were released later, Fort Hood spokesman Christopher Haug told The Associated Press. He said they are not believed to be involved in the incident.

"It's a terrible tragedy. It's stunning," Cone said.

A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity told the AP Hasan, 39, was an Army psychiatrist who was single and had no children. Hasan had worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before he was transferred to Fort Hood in July, Washington military officials told the AP.

Hasan received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed, officials told the AP on condition of anonymity, because military records are confidential. Federal law enforcement officials also said Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats.

The postings, one of which is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades, appeared to have been made by Hasan, officials said.

"To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the Internet posting. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

The officials said they are still trying to confirm that Hasan authored the postings, and an official investigation was not opened.

Authorities have not yet identified a possible motive for the rampage.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, but it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.

THE INJURED

A spokesperson for Metroplex Hospital in Killeen told NBC News they received seven patients: five male and two female.

One of the men died at the hospital and a man and a woman were still in surgery. Two of the patients were members of the military, and five were civilians.

Three other men were airlifted to Seton Medical Center in Austin. One woman was transported by ground ambulance to Scott & White Hospital in Temple. Scott & White closed emergency services to the public and put out a call for blood donors.

None of the victims have been identified.

SUSPECT RECEIVED POOR EVALUATION

Military officials say Hasan was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.

The officials had access to Maj. Hasan's military record. They said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.

The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He was 39 years old.

He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.

THE SHOOTING

The first shooting took place at the SRC, Bldg 42000 at 75th and Battalion Avenue, at about 1:30 p.m., according to Army officials. A second shooting took place at a Howze Theater on Battalion Avenue, according to reports.

The SRC is where soldiers begin the process of vaccinations and other preparation prior to deployment.  A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in an auditorium at the Readiness Center at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.

Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter's regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter, whose district includes the Army post.

Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said. Stone said he believes Schanepp was in the theater.

The base was locked down after the shootings. The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.

Agents from the Austin and Waco field offices of the FBI and ATF are reportedly en route to the post.

OBAMA BREIFED, DELIVERS REMARKS ON SHOOTING

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama was being kept updated throughout the afternoon as details about the shooting emerged. Gibbs said he told Obama about TV news reports that seven people were dead at the Texas military location and others were injured. Gibbs said he informed Obama based on broadcast reports and that the president was being kept up to date through the White House Situation Room.

Obama asked Americans to keep the people at Fort Hood in their thoughts and prayers.

"It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas," Obama said. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil.

"My immediate prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood. These are men and women who have made the selfless and courage decision to risk, and at times, give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis."

THE STATE OF FORT HOOD

When news of the shooting first began to surface, a message on the following message appeared on the Fort Hood Web site: "The post is on lock down. This is not a drill. Please stay inside. It is an emergency situation."

Sirens could be heard at the base and more than 500 military personnel moved across the 340-square mile installation to protect the post, KCEN-TV reported.

Killeen's SWAT unit and several units of the Killeen Police Department headed to the post.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Lee M. Packnett said he was unaware if security measures were put in place at other military bases or installations -- there are 23 such bases in Texas.

In response to the violence at the post, school districts on the Army Post as well as those in nearby Killeen and Temple were under various degrees of lock down.

A TRAGIC REMINDER

The tragic event began to unfold, bringing a sharp reminder of the violence felt in that part of the state over the past 30 years.

"Unfortunately this is a day we had dreaded, we are in an emergency situation," said Hilary Shine, with the city of Killeen. "Every time you hear of a mass casualty situation in Killeen you think of Luby's and 26 people were killed. Here in city hall, it's panic. We all have friends and family members who work or have business on Fort Hood."

"We know the terrible impact and not knowing how it will end is gut wrenching right now," said Shine. "Fort Hood is set up as it's own city, they have their own fire, police, SWAT -- they have not requested police assistance from Killeen but they have asked for EMT and ambulance assistance."

Fort Hood has seen other violence in recent years. In September 2008, a 21-year-old 1st Cavalry Division soldier shot his lieutenant to death and then killed himself. Spc. Jody Michael Wirawan of Eagle River, Alaska. shot himself to death after killing 1st Lt. Robert Bartlett Fletcher, 24, of Jensen Beach, Fla.

ABOUT FORT HOOD

Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States, and is the only post in the United States that is capable of supporting two complete armored divisions. The cantonment area of Fort Hood is adjacent to Killeen and the "Hill and Lake" country of Texas. The post is home to about 5,000 active duty officers and 45,000 enlisted. Civilian employees total nearly 9,000, MSNBC.com reports.