Bishop of Beaumont praying for victims of Ft. Hood shooting

Killean, Texas (CNA) - Chaos broke out at Ft. Hood, Texas today when Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, and possibly other soldiers, opened fire, killing 12 people and injuring 31. Bishop Curtis Guillory of Beaumont is offering his prayers for the "comfort and healing of those who were shot."

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone spoke to reporters at Ft. Hood on Thursday afternoon and said that Maj. Hasan was killed in a shootout with local police. Two other soldiers are being held as suspects in the shooting.

According to Lt. Gen. Cone, all of the casualties took place at a personnel and medical processing center, which was scheduled to hold a graduation ceremony today at 2:00 p.m.

President Obama responded to the tragedy, calling it a "horrific outburst if violence."

The Catholic Bishop of Beaumont, Texas, Curtis Guillory, commented on the tragedy today, saying, "We hope and pray that our soldiers do not die on the battlefields. Then something like this happens on one of our bases by a fellow soldier."

"What happened today is a tragedy. Our prayers are with those who are affected and their families, and I pray for comfort and healing of those who were shot," he said.
Fort Hood is the U.S. military's largest installation and the only Army post in the United States that houses two divisions.

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