2009 Fort Hood shooting
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (November 2009) |
| Fort Hood shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Fort Hood, Texas |
| Date | November 5, 2009 ca. 1:30 p.m. (CST) |
Attack type | Mass murder |
| Deaths | 12 (including one gunman)[1][2] |
| Injured | 31[1][2] |
| Perpetrators | 3[3] |
The Fort Hood shooting occurred on November 5, 2009, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (CST) when 12 people were killed and up to 31 others wounded at the United States Army base of Fort Hood, located in Texas.[1] Early reports indicated that two or three shooters were involved.[2] The events took place in or near the Soldier Readiness Center[4] and the Howze Theater. A college graduation ceremony was scheduled for 2 p.m. at the theater.[5] One victim was a civilian police officer.[6]
Shootings
Three US soldiers were involved in the shooting; two were apprehended and one was killed according to Lieutenant General Robert W. Cone the commanding officer. Cone also acknowledged one gunman at the time, and it was unknown if the two in custody actually shot any firearm.[1] The deceased gunman has been identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan by a law enforcement source.[1][2][7] The base and surrounding areas were locked down, with military police and SWAT teams on the scene, and FBI agents called from Austin and Waco.[1] President Obama was briefed on the incident, press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, who later held a press conference.[2]
Response
President Barack Obama described the incident as "a horrific outburst of violence" in a press conference in Washington, going on to say, "It is difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women abroad, but it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on US soil." "My prayers are with the wounded and the families of the fallen," said the president. President Obama also offered his help to Cone. [2]
A Formal Press Conference is planned for 6:35PM EST at Fort Hood.
Background
Fort Hood, approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) from both Waco and Austin, houses around 40,000 troops and is the largest US military base in the world.[1] About 300-400 soldiers preparing for deployments are screened a day at the processing center.[6]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g "Twelve shot dead at US army base". BBC News. November 5, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference
CNNwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Breaking news: At least 11 killed, 30 wounded after shootings at Ft. Hood". The Ski Channel. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ "12 killed, 20 wounded in Fort Hood incident". New York Post. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
MTwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Stars and Stripeswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Twelve Soldiers Killed". ABC. November 5, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
References
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Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Stars and Stripes" is not used in the content (see the help page).
External links
