A US Army psychiatrist, who was about to be deployed in Iraq, went on a shooting rampage at America's largest military base in Texas, killing 12 persons and injuring over 30 others before being shot and captured.
The suspect identified as Maj Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at a Fort Hood military processing center, where soldiers preparing for deployment go for a last minute medical check-up, at around 1.30 pm local time on Thursday.
Twelve people were killed before the gunman was shot and at least 10 of the dead were soldiers, Army Lt Gen Robert Cone said at the St Antonio military base, according to CNN.
While initial reports said he was killed in exchange of fire, Cone later said he was injured and in custody.
A civilian officer who was wounded in the incident shot the suspect, who is "in custody and in stable condition," Cone told reporters.
Two other soldiers arrested as suspects were later released.
The incident that sent shock waves across the country was termed by President Barack Obama as "a horrific outburst of violence".
"It is difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas... It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil," Obama said in Washington.
Hasan, 39, was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq "and appeared to be upset about that" said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who represents R-Texas.
"I think that there is a lot of investigation going on now into his background and what he was doing that was not known before," he said.
Hasan is a US citizen of Jordanian descent and this would have been his first deployment. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a psychiatrist licensed in Virginia practising at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood.
Cone said the motive for the attack was unclear.
According to ABC news while Cone did not rule out the incident as an act of terrorism, he said evidence does not support that theory.
Meanwhile, Hasan's cousin Nader Hasan said she believed it was his upcoming deployment combined with the wartime horror stories he heard from his patients that set him off.
Hasan had recently hired an attorney to help him get out of the military.
According to Nader, Hasan was also harassed after 9/11 because of his ethnicity, and was called a "camel jockey."
Obama who was originally scheduled to spend more time at the Tribal Nations Conference immediately rushed to his Oval office to take stock of the situation.
"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," he said and left the stage.
The President spoke to the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, on the incident.
"We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal Government," he said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by US Army from Fort Hood said the Department of Emergency Services officials confirmed that more than one shooter fired shots in the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center and Howze Theater on Fort Hood.
Vice President Joe Biden also expressed sympathies to the families of the soldiers who fell today: "We are all praying for those who were wounded and hoping for their full and speedy recovery... Our thoughts and prayers are also with the entire Fort Hood community as they deal with this senseless tragedy".
Fort Hood is the largest US military installation, with about 40,000 troops, in the world, and has suffered the greatest number of casualties of all American bases in the war on Iraq.
At least 25,000 people are at Fort Hood on any given day, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives held a moment of silence for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre, and Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered flags be flown at half mast until Sunday.
The suspect identified as Maj Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at a Fort Hood military processing center, where soldiers preparing for deployment go for a last minute medical check-up, at around 1.30 pm local time on Thursday.
Twelve people were killed before the gunman was shot and at least 10 of the dead were soldiers, Army Lt Gen Robert Cone said at the St Antonio military base, according to CNN.
While initial reports said he was killed in exchange of fire, Cone later said he was injured and in custody.
A civilian officer who was wounded in the incident shot the suspect, who is "in custody and in stable condition," Cone told reporters.
Two other soldiers arrested as suspects were later released.
The incident that sent shock waves across the country was termed by President Barack Obama as "a horrific outburst of violence".
"It is difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas... It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil," Obama said in Washington.
Hasan, 39, was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq "and appeared to be upset about that" said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who represents R-Texas.
"I think that there is a lot of investigation going on now into his background and what he was doing that was not known before," he said.
Hasan is a US citizen of Jordanian descent and this would have been his first deployment. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a psychiatrist licensed in Virginia practising at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood.
Cone said the motive for the attack was unclear.
According to ABC news while Cone did not rule out the incident as an act of terrorism, he said evidence does not support that theory.
Meanwhile, Hasan's cousin Nader Hasan said she believed it was his upcoming deployment combined with the wartime horror stories he heard from his patients that set him off.
Hasan had recently hired an attorney to help him get out of the military.
According to Nader, Hasan was also harassed after 9/11 because of his ethnicity, and was called a "camel jockey."
Obama who was originally scheduled to spend more time at the Tribal Nations Conference immediately rushed to his Oval office to take stock of the situation.
"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," he said and left the stage.
The President spoke to the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, on the incident.
"We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal Government," he said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by US Army from Fort Hood said the Department of Emergency Services officials confirmed that more than one shooter fired shots in the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center and Howze Theater on Fort Hood.
Vice President Joe Biden also expressed sympathies to the families of the soldiers who fell today: "We are all praying for those who were wounded and hoping for their full and speedy recovery... Our thoughts and prayers are also with the entire Fort Hood community as they deal with this senseless tragedy".
Fort Hood is the largest US military installation, with about 40,000 troops, in the world, and has suffered the greatest number of casualties of all American bases in the war on Iraq.
At least 25,000 people are at Fort Hood on any given day, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives held a moment of silence for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre, and Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered flags be flown at half mast until Sunday.
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