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Fort Hood casts a somber shadow here in Central Texas
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I'm going to take a short break from the science writing and talk a bit about the tragic events at Ft. Hood. Reason being, not only did I grow up in Central Texas, I'm visiting my friends and family in the region right now. My parents live in Round Rock, a small town north of Austin and about half an hour from Killeen where the Army base is located. All through the afternoon we could hear sirens racing north down nearby IH-35. Around dinner time, the thud-thud of low flying helicopters shook the house. Neighbors were gathered outside, talking in hushed, shocked tones: When you're near a story like this, it's more than tragic, it becomes personal and a little scary. You wait for the phone to ring, to be told someone you know has been hurt, or someone's son or daughter was involved.
Update: Already two neighbors/friends have told me that they have relatives who were on base when the shooting occured. In both cases, the relatives have called to let everyone know they are OK.
State flags are flying at half mast and calls for blood donations have been posted, as Central Texans and residents all around the state of Texas and the nation are reeling in shock upon hearing the tragic news; 13 people were senselessly gunned down and another 30 r more injured during a deadly rampage at Fort Hood in Killeen, about an hour north of the state capital of Austin. Perhaps worst of all, the shooter was a fellow soldier and an army officer. Let that not be what we remember:
Several soldiers, some of whom where shot, provided immediate first aid to people who were worse off before looking after themselves, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the commanding officer at Fort Hood, said. Cpl. Nathan Hewitt, 27, took two bullets to the hip and calf before helping other people escape danger. ... A female soldier rushed to put a tourniquet on the leg of a downed comrade and then carried him from the building, all without realizing she had been shot in the hip, Cone said. Soldier Ray Saucedo, who joined the Army last year, was hit in the arm as he escorted a fellow soldier to the medical facility. ... Cone said he heard reports of soldiers ripping their own uniforms to use as makeshift bandages.
I'm told by one unconfirmed source close to events that at least one survivor was shot three times in the chest (Two exit wounds and one bullet lodged under the sternum) requiring several units of whole blood. That victim and one another underwent emergency surgery at a nearby hospital in Round Rock, Texas, and both are said to be, miraculously, in stable condition. About 10 other seriously injured victim were rushed to Scott & White Hospital in nearby Temple (Which I'm told is a top notch facility). No word on those injuries.
Major Malik Nadal Hassan, a medical doctor and psychiatrist awaiting deployment to Iraq (Or Afghanistan, reports differ), went in for his usual coffee at a local convenience store (Video) Thursday morning. A few hours later, he opened up with two handguns in the Fort Hood Soldier's Readiness area where dozens of soldiers were gathered for pre-deployment medical checks. Two other suspects were arrested. The Austin-American Statesman reported they were released a few hours later. Contrary to earlier reports, Hassan reportedly survived:
The shooter was initially reported to have been killed, but Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone told a late night news conference that the suspect was wounded and in custody. Cone would not say what Hasan's medical condition was, but said the suspect was not in danger of dying. Hasan is not talking to authorities, said Cone.
This region has certainly paid its due both in service to the nation and in senseless violence. Fort Hood has suffered more casualties in Iraq than any other US base stateside. There have been several suicides and shootings over the years both on and off base involving one or two people. We can only hope this marks the end of a long period of such tragedy in Central Texas. My neighbors and the service men and women at Ft Hood would welcome that.
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