Fort Hood Shooter Is Alive, Was to be Sent to Afghanistan

A psychiatrist who had spent much of his career at Walter Reed Army Medical Center opened fire at a medical processing center for soldiers returning from, and about to be sent, overseas, killing 13 people and injuring 30. USA Today notes that officials beleive this is the deadliest shooting rampage at a U.S. base in history. The gunman was shot by a civilian officer who was herself wounded but is expected to survive. He finally fell after being struck by four bullets. Contrary to initial reports, the gunman, identified as 39-year-old Nidal Hasan, wasn't killed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery and is currently unconscious and on a ventilator but "his death is not imminent," one official said. Hasan, wearing a military uniform, fired an automatic pistol and another weapon. Most of the victims were military personnel, but also included two civilians. Hasan worked as a doctor at Fort Hood, and spent much of his time counseling victims of trauma in war zones and often talked about his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a colleague who spoke to Fox News. After seeing the effects of war up close, he was terrified of being deployed, his cousin told Fox News. This morning, an Army spokesman said Hasan was to be sent to Afghanistan. Officials are now  trying to figure out whether obvious signs of potential trouble were missed. Hasan apparently went into the military against his parent's wishes but then felt discriminated against because of his Muslim roots. During his time in the Washington area, he had been a "very devout" worshipper, who often attracted attention for attending prayers wearing his Army fatigues. The Associated Press reports that, as an intern at Walter Reed, Hasan required counseling and extra supervision because of some "difficulties' and at one point even received a poor evaluation. USA Today reports that those difficulties appeared to continue at Fort Hood, where he apparently felt like "he didn't fit in," according to Rep. Michael McCaul from Austin.

Read original story in The Dallas Morning News | Friday, Nov. 6, 2009