13 killed at Texas army base; psychiatrist accused

UPDATED:

An Army officer opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday, killing 13 and injuring 30, authorities said. The massacre left investigators scrambling to figure out what may have driven a mental health professional to go on such a rampage.

Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, the commanding officer at Fort Hood, identified the shooter as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist who had lived in Virginia and Maryland. Gen. Cone had said shortly after the shooting that Maj. Hasan was killed by a police officer at the scene, but late Thursday said that turned out not to be the case.

“Preliminary reports indicate there was a single shooter that was shot multiple times at the scene. However, he was not killed as previously reported,” Gen. Cone said. “He is currently in custody and in stable condition.”

Initial information that a female civilian police officer who had shot Maj. Hasan was also killed similarly turned out not to be the case, Gen. Cone said. That officer also survived the attack, he said.

Gen. Cone said most of those injured and killed were soldiers. He said the seriousness of the injuries varied significantly.

Three other soldiers were detained for questioning but were released without charges, Gen. Cone said.

Gen. Cone would not answer any questions about Maj. Hasan, whose motivation remains unknown.

Maj. Hasan opened fire with two handguns — one a semiautomatic, “which might explain the rate of fire he obtained,” Gen. Cone said.

The killings occurred about 1:30 p.m. Central Time at two nearby “readiness centers,” administrative buildings where soldiers are processed for medical records before going to the front or when returning home from a tour.

On Thursday, according to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, there was a graduation ceremony scheduled for one of the base’s continuing education programs.

Gen. Cone said the soldiers near the attack reacted quickly, tearing off pieces of clothing to put pressure on the wounds of their injured comrades.

“As horrible as this was, I’m sure this could have been much worse,” he said.

Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas, is the largest geographical base for the U.S. military and one of the two largest in terms of population. It is home to roughly 34,000 people on 160,000 acres.

The central Texas facility is host to the US III Corps and the 1st Cavalry Division. The US III Corps routinely fills the operational command structure for Multinational Forces Iraq.

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