Fort Hood soldiers’ shooting rampage, 12 killed, 31 wounded

Tragic.    Army officer, psychiatrist kills fellow soldiers?  What’s going on?

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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20091105/BREAKING/91105050/1352

Updated at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, November 5, 2009

Shooters who killed 12, wounded 31 at Fort Hood are soldiers

Associated Press

FORT HOOD, Texas — The U.S. Army says 12 people have been killed and 31 wounded today in a shooting rampage on the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

The Army says one shooter has been killed and two others apprehended and that all are U.S. soldiers.

Lt. Gen Bob Cone said at a news conference that the shooting began around 1:30 p.m. Cone says that all the casualties took place at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.

He says the primary shooter used two handguns in the attack.

Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said the second shooting took place at a theater on the sprawling base.

An Army spokesman said the base was locked down after the shootings.

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

At the Soldier Readiness Center, soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening — on average about 300-400 screened a day, Lampam said.

Lampam said a graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in the auditorium at the time of the shooting.

The White House said President Barack Obama was notified of the shootings.

The base is home to nine schools — seven elementary schools and two middle schools — and all were on lockdown, said Killeen school spokesman Todd Martin.

Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said Texas Rangers and state troopers were en route to Fort Hood to help seal the perimeter of the 108,000 acre base.

Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood. It has been continuously used for armored training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.