Friday, November 06, 2009 TEXAS: The death toll from Fort Hood shooting has climbed to 13.Twenty-eight of the 31 people injured in the attack on the nation's largest military base remain hospitalized. The alleged shooter, an Army psychiatrist who was wounded during the attack, is also hospitalized, unconscious and on a ventilator.President Obama, speaking at the White House Rose Garden, said he had consulted with FBI Director Robert Muller and others about the investigation into the tragedy."We don't know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we know all the facts," Obama said.What is known, the president said, is that the nation is grieving over one of the worst mass shootings at a U.S. military installation. He ordered that flags be flown at half-staff, a "modest tribute" to those who died and military personnel who serve the nation.Authorities have identified the gunman as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, who worked at the Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood's hospital. The facility has an extensive program to help soldiers deal with the stress of returning from war.Army officials confirmed that Hasan was due to be deployed overseas, but provided no additional information. Base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said today that Hasan was to be deployed to Afghanistan, not Iraq as officials initially said.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was at the White House this morning, briefing President Obama on the Texas shooting. Gates announced that the Department of Defense will observe a moment of silence throughout the world at 1:34 p.m. EST.It was also announced today that victims of Thursday's shooting at Ft. Hood are expected to be taken to Dover Air Force Base.Officials said that the Delaware base had the counseling, mortuary and forensic teams in place to assist with the investigation and families.The shooting create scenes of chaos at Ft. Hood, the world's largest military base. Officials said that soldiers and civilians ripped apart their clothes to make bandages for fallen colleagues, many of whom were waiting at the base's Soldier Readiness Center for medical and dental exams before deployment. The attack shocked the country and raised questions about base security.Cone said at a news conference Thursday evening that Hasan was shot multiple times by a female civilian Army police officer, who was also injured. The suspect reportedly had not spoken with investigators, and Cone would not say anything more about him.A senior U.S counter-terrorism official said Thursday night that the Army and FBI were looking into whether Hasan, who is Muslim, had previously come to the attention of federal law enforcement officials as the suspected author of inflammatory Internet comments likening suicide bombers to heroic soldiers who give their lives to save others.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that authorities would examine Hasan's actions in the months leading up to the rampage in part to determine whether authorities had missed warning signs. "This is going to be a long and convoluted and messy investigation," the official said.Although three other soldiers were briefly taken into custody, Cone said he believed that the gunman acted alone.On Thursday, President Obama lamented the attack as a "horrific outburst of violence" and promised justice. "We are going to stay on this," he said."These are men and women who have made the selfless decision" to protect the nation, Obama said of the victims. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."Hasan, a Virginia native, worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before his transfer to the Texas base in July. Army officials with access to Hasan's records told the Associated Press that he had received a poor performance evaluation at Walter Reed.
Friday, November 06, 2009 TEXAS: The death toll from Fort Hood shooting has climbed to 13.Twenty-eight of the 31 people injured in the attack on the nation's largest military base remain hospitalized. The alleged shooter, an Army psychiatrist who was wounded during the attack, is also hospitalized, unconscious and on a ventilator.President Obama, speaking at the White House Rose Garden, said he had consulted with FBI Director Robert Muller and others about the investigation into the tragedy."We don't know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we know all the facts," Obama said.What is known, the president said, is that the nation is grieving over one of the worst mass shootings at a U.S. military installation. He ordered that flags be flown at half-staff, a "modest tribute" to those who died and military personnel who serve the nation.Authorities have identified the gunman as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, who worked at the Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood's hospital. The facility has an extensive program to help soldiers deal with the stress of returning from war.Army officials confirmed that Hasan was due to be deployed overseas, but provided no additional information. Base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said today that Hasan was to be deployed to Afghanistan, not Iraq as officials initially said.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was at the White House this morning, briefing President Obama on the Texas shooting. Gates announced that the Department of Defense will observe a moment of silence throughout the world at 1:34 p.m. EST.It was also announced today that victims of Thursday's shooting at Ft. Hood are expected to be taken to Dover Air Force Base.Officials said that the Delaware base had the counseling, mortuary and forensic teams in place to assist with the investigation and families.The shooting create scenes of chaos at Ft. Hood, the world's largest military base. Officials said that soldiers and civilians ripped apart their clothes to make bandages for fallen colleagues, many of whom were waiting at the base's Soldier Readiness Center for medical and dental exams before deployment. The attack shocked the country and raised questions about base security.Cone said at a news conference Thursday evening that Hasan was shot multiple times by a female civilian Army police officer, who was also injured. The suspect reportedly had not spoken with investigators, and Cone would not say anything more about him.A senior U.S counter-terrorism official said Thursday night that the Army and FBI were looking into whether Hasan, who is Muslim, had previously come to the attention of federal law enforcement officials as the suspected author of inflammatory Internet comments likening suicide bombers to heroic soldiers who give their lives to save others.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that authorities would examine Hasan's actions in the months leading up to the rampage in part to determine whether authorities had missed warning signs. "This is going to be a long and convoluted and messy investigation," the official said.Although three other soldiers were briefly taken into custody, Cone said he believed that the gunman acted alone.On Thursday, President Obama lamented the attack as a "horrific outburst of violence" and promised justice. "We are going to stay on this," he said."These are men and women who have made the selfless decision" to protect the nation, Obama said of the victims. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."Hasan, a Virginia native, worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before his transfer to the Texas base in July. Army officials with access to Hasan's records told the Associated Press that he had received a poor performance evaluation at Walter Reed.
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