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An Army psychiatrist opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center, Fort Hood Texas, leaving 13 dead and 30 wounded before being shot by police.

UPDATE - A briefing at Fort Hood brought revised figures of 13 dead - including 12 soldiers and one civilian - and 30 wounded. The wounded are all reported in stable condition.

From all reports, the gunman acted alone and carried two handguns including a semi-automatic weapon. The second suspect that had been held was released later by authorities.

A spokesman from Fort Hood also confirmed there were first-hand accounts that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is great," prior to his shooting spree.

Details are now coming out that Hasan had problems in prior duty assignments and had become publicly critical of the war in Iraq.


WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) – At 1:30 local time a gunman, brandishing two handguns, opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center, Fort Hood, Texas, leaving 12 dead and 31 wounded. The base went into immediate lock-down as Army specialists, police and Homeland Security began to piece together what had taken place.

Later identified as Major Malik Nidal Hasan, an Army Psychiatrist, the shooter was seriously wounded by police but not before he had killed a civilian police officer. Hasan, who was shot at least four times, is currently in stable condition and under military guard.

According to Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, at Fort Hood, all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening. Reportedly, the doctor was facing an upcoming deployment to Iraq.

"The gunman opened fire and essentially due to the quick response of the police forces was killed," said Cone. He also confirmed that eyewitness accounts indicated there was more than one gunman. [Ed. - The gunman was later reported as still alive and in custody.]

Two other soldiers were taken into custody after the shooting. However, Representative John Carter, R-Texas, said they were released. He stated that law enforcement officials told him later in the day that another person had been detained for questioning.

NBC News quoted a senior administration official as saying that the shootings could have been a criminal matter rather than a terrorism-related attack and that there was no intelligence to suggest a plot against Fort Hood.

Military and local hospital officials said the victims were a mixture of men and women as well as military and civilian. General Cone confirmed that one of those killed was a civilian police officer. At least four local SWAT officers were among those wounded, according to a local television station, KCEN.

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas told FOX news, "I do know that he has been known to have told people that he was upset about going (to Iraq)." Military officials indicated, however, that the shooter's motives were still unclear.

ABC's Brian Ross reported Thursday afternoon that gunman was a recent convert to Islam. Officials have not confirmed the report and stated that is has yet to be determined if Hasan was the man’s birth name or the result of a religious conversion.

Early reports from Fort Hood spoke of a second attack at a nearby theater, which were not have been accurate. Base officials did say that a graduation ceremony for solder who finished college courses while deployed was about the take place in that theater at the time of shootings.

An aide to Representative Carter, Greg Schannep, was at Fort Hood for the graduation service. He told the Austin American-Statesmen that as he approached the entrance of the theater where the ceremony was going to take place a soldier with blood on his uniform ran past, shouting that a man was shooting. The aide stayed with the injured soldier, who he said appeared to have been struck in the shoulder with a bullet but did not have life-threatening injuries.

According to ABC News, Hasan, who is either 39 or 40, attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Osteopathy. Later he finished his residency as a psychiatrist.

In 2009, Hasan completed a fellowship in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry at the Center for Traumatic Stress.

Other military installations stepped up security measures after hearing of the shootings but no other bases were locked down.

Words of sympathy and condolences were received by local, state, and national leaders. Texas Governor Rick Perry stated, "I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today."

President Obama said that it's a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil. “We’re going to stay on top of this.”

Former President George W. Bush issued a statement from his Dallas office saying, "I was saddened to learn of the tragic incident at Fort Hood. Laura and I are keeping the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

Located halfway between Waco and Austin, TX, Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world. The base houses 65,000 soldiers and family members, but Senator Hutchison stated that about 35,000 are currently present.

It is the home for Headquarters III Corps, First Army Division West, the 1st Cavalry Division, 4th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, 13th Corps Support Command, 89th Military Police Brigade, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, 21st Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat), 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and 31st Air Defense Brigade.