Gunman kills 12 at US Army base
US: An Army psychiatrist opened fire with two handguns at the
Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, killing 12 and wounding 31 others, Army
officials said, adding the suspect was shot several times but survived.
Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Major Nidal Malik
Hasan, who had treated soldiers wounded in foreign wars preparing for
foreign deployment at the post.
"Our investigation is ongoing but preliminary reports indicate that
there was a single shooter," Lieutenant-General Robert Cone, Fort Hood's
commanding officer, told a news conference.
"The shooter is not dead but in custody in stable condition."
Cone said the suspect had been shot multiple times. He had previously
said the suspect was killed by police officers during the attack at the
biggest military facility in the world.
"He's not currently speaking to investigators," Cone said of Hasan.
Pressed on the suspect's condition, he said, "I would say his death
is not imminent."
Asked if the shootings were a terrorist act, Cone said, "I couldn't
rule that out but ... the evidence does not suggest that."
The Army said the gunman opened fire at about 1:30 p.m. CST (1930
GMT) at the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center, a group of buildings
where soldiers were getting medical check-ups before leaving for
overseas deployments.
Cone said the gunman had two weapons, one of them a semi-automatic.
"There is no indication that they were military weapons," he said.
It was one of the worst killing sprees ever reported on a US military
base. In May, a U.S. soldier at a base in Baghdad shot and killed five
fellow soldiers.
Cone said a college graduation ceremony for more than 100 soldiers
was being held in an auditorium about 50 yards (metres) away when the
shooting started. KILLEEN, Friday, Reuters |