Shooting At U.S. Army Base Leaves 12 Dead

WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) -- U.S. Army officials say a gunman opened fire at an army base on Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding 31 others.

Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other men suspected in the attack. All three were identified as U.S. soldiers.

President Barack Obama cut short scheduled remarks at the Department of the Interior to address the tragedy. He called the shootings" a horrific outburst of violence."

"There has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas," Obama said. "We don't yet know all the details at this moment; we will share them as we get them.  What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

Obama said the White House was working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that Fort Hood is secure and would be using "the full resources of the federal government" to help the base and surrounding town.

"It's 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," he said.

Base Locked Down

Lieutenant General Bob Cone said in a news conference at the base that the shooting began around 1:30 p.m. local time. He said all the casualties took place at a facility called the "Soldier Rating and Processing Center," which does medical screenings for soldiers about to deploy to overseas postings.

Cone said the primary shooter used two handguns in the attack.

Officials speaking on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press that the dead gunman has been identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan, who worked as a mental health professional.

Fort Hood was locked down after the shootings and the wounded were sent to area hospitals.

The Texas base is the largest active-duty army post in the United States. It covers 339 square miles (878 kilometers) and is home to more than 50,000 army troops.
 

Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered all flags in the state to be flown at half staff in memory of the dead.