U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a balding, round-faced, combat-stress psychiatrist, used two weapons to spray bullets yesterday inside a crowded medical processing center for soldiers returning from or going to the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, killing 12 people and injuring 30 others.

It was initially reported that the horrible incident at Fort Hood, Texas, ended when Hasan was shot dead, but amended reports indicate he is alive and could recover, according to The New York Times and other news organizations.

Post officials at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs took “appropriate” measures following the shooting incident yesterday to ensure soldiers would be safe, but declined to offer specifics, writes the Colorado Springs Gazette, which notes that the community has felt shock waves.

Hasan had experienced some difficulty in his past, including problems with patients as a medical student, according to The Associated Press. Hasan did not want to be deployed to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. involvement in wars overseas. Hasan, according to his relatives in Virginia, also had second thoughts about the military after other soldiers harassed him for being a Muslim, reports the Times.

Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim political groups are bracing for a wave of anger, and some groups are already receiving threats, writes The Huffington Post.

Posted 11/6/2009 at 10:00 am by Michael de Yoanna
Crime, Military, Panorama :: Permalink :: Comments

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