In the wake of the horrific shooting at Fort Hood in Texas yesterday, the military and civilian community has been left to wonder why a member of our armed forces would commit such a crime – especially with Veterans Day just a few days away.
The official website of the U.S. Army, www.army.mil, reported today that Army Major Hasan Nidal Malik is responsible for the shootings on base yesterday, and that he acted alone, despite initial suspicions about multiple gunmen. Maj. Malik began shooting into the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center at about 1:30 pm yesterday, leaving 13 individuals dead and 27 wounded.
A female civilian police officer named Kimberly Munley allegedly shot Maj. Hasan four times, preventing him from firing any more rounds. Munley herself was wounded. She was one of the first civilian law enforcement officers to arrive on Fort Hood and respond to the shooting, according to the Army.
Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, the Commanding General at Fort Hood, called Munley’s efforts “amazing.”
The shooting occurred during a graduation for almost 140 soldiers who were to receive their college diplomas. The soldiers secured the theater and no one inside was hurt. A great example of how our soldiers are trained to act in a second’s notice in an emergency situation. No doubt that these individuals saved many lives yesterday.
Today, Lt. Gen. Cone told the media that the Army’s number one concern is caring for those wounded. The victims, both deceased and injured, were largely military members. He also confirmed that Maj. Hasan had survived being shot four times by Kimberly Munley, despite reports that he had been killed yesterday.
“I would say his death is not imminent,” stated Lt. Gen. Cone. As of this afternoon, Maj. Hasan had yet to speak to investigators from the Army or the FBI.
Maj. Hasan was a highly-trained psychiatrist who worked on Fort Hood and was scheduled to deploy at the end of the month. Maj. Hasan had apparently told some of his family members that he was unhappy about being deployed. He allegedly used two handguns to shoot at people on base – even though Lt. Gen. Cone told media that “as a matter of practice, we do not carry weapons on Fort Hood.”
“This is our home,” Lt. Gen. Cone said.
Not long after the incident, President Obama telephoned Lt. Gen. Cone to express his support to the Fort Hood community. A moment of silence was observed on base and around the nation this afternoon at 1:34 pm, but otherwise, the Fort Hood community tried to go back to their “normal” lives today, reopening schools and reporting to work.
For all members of the military and for all veterans, the shooting is especially sad, as we must mourn the lost lives of our military brothers and sisters. We commend the soldiers who protected the almost 600 individuals inside the Howze Theater building on base, and we salute Kimberly Munley, who risked her own life to prevent Maj. Hasan from inflicting additional harm.
This Wednesday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Across the nation, people will be at Veterans Day parades and other events during the days leading up to the 11th, and I hope that we all pause and remember the sacrifice made by our military men and women – not only our veterans, but those who currently serve both here and overseas.
