Fort Hood shooting suspect is Virginia Tech graduate

UPDATED Friday 5:20 a.m.
A military official says one more person has died after being injured during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas.
    Post spokesman Tyler Broadway said early Friday that the toll now stands at 13 dead and 30 wounded. Late Thursday, officials said 12 people had been killed and 31 wounded in the afternoon attack.
    The victims’ identities haven’t been released.
    The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital late Thursday. The Army psychiatrist was shot four times after the rampage began around 1:30 p.m.
    The motive for the shootings isn’t clear, but Hasan was apparently set to deploy soon. He also had expressed some anger about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
——————-
11:03 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - An Army psychiatrist set to be shipped overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, authorities said, a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded in the worst mass shooting ever at a military base in the United States.
    The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. “I would say his death is not imminent,“ Cone said. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot four times and was in critical condition.
    The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia.
    President Barack Obama called the shooting at the Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, “a horrific outburst of violence.“
    “It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas,“ the commander in chief said. “It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.“
    There was no official word on motive. Hasan had transferred to Fort Hood in July from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received a poor performance evaluation, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.
    Lee said Hasan had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars.
    Faizul Khan, a former imam at a mosque Hasan attended in Silver Spring, Md., said he spoke often with Hasan about how Hasan wanted to find a wife. Hasan was a lifelong Muslim and attended prayers regularly, often in his Army uniform, Khan said.
    The shooter used two pistols, one of them semiautomatic. Neither were military-issued, Danner said.
    Video from the scene showed police patrolling the area with handguns and rifles, ducking behind buildings for cover. Sirens could be heard wailing while a woman’s voice on a public-address system urged people to take cover.
    “I was confused and just shocked,“ said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. “Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can’t even defend yourself.“
    Soldiers at Fort Hood don’t carry weapons unless they are doing training exercises.
    The Rev. Greg Schannep was about to head into a graduation ceremony when a man in uniform approached him, warning him that someone had opened fire. Schannep heard three volleys of gunfire and saw people running.
    “There was a burst of shots and more bursts of shots and people running everywhere,“ said Schannep, who works for local Congressman John Carter.
    The uniformed man who had warned him ran to the theater. Schannep said he could see the man’s back was bloodied from a wound. The man survived, was treated and will be fine, Schannep said.
    Cone said initially three people were held, and all have been interviewed. Authorities believe, however, that there was a single shooter.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Their identities, and the identities of the dead, were not immediately released.
    Amber Bahr, 19, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition, said her mother, Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis.
    “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Hasan was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001 and was at Walter Reed for six years for his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    The attack happened just down the road from one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. On Oct. 16, 1991, George Hennard smashed his pickup truck through a Luby’s Cafeteria window in Killeen, Texas, and fired on the lunchtime crowd with a high-powered pistol, killing 22 people and wounding at least 20 others.
    No other shooting at a military base in the U.S. has been anywhere near as deadly as Thursday’s. In 1993, a gunman at Fort Knox shot five civilian co-workers, killing three, and then fatally shot himself.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    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, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco.
    —-
    Barrett reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jeff Carlton in Fort Hood, Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.

————

10:15 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - An Army psychiatrist set to be shipped overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, authorities said, a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded in the worst mass shooting ever at a military base in the United States.
    The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. “I would say his death is not imminent,“ Cone said. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.
    The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old, eight-year veteran from Virginia.
    President Barack Obama called the shooting at the Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, “a horrific outburst of violence.“
    “It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas,“ the commander in chief said. “It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.“
    There was no official word on motive. Hasan had transferred to Fort Hood in July from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received a poor performance evaluation, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.
    Lee said Hasan had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars.
    Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.
    Video from the scene showed police patrolling the area with handguns and rifles, ducking behind buildings for cover. Sirens could be heard wailing while a woman’s voice on a public-address system urged people to take cover.
    “I was confused and just shocked,“ said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. “Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can’t even defend yourself.“
    Soldiers at Fort Hood don’t carry weapons unless they are doing training exercises.
    The Rev. Greg Schannep was about to head into a graduation ceremony when a man in uniform approached him, warning him that someone had opened fire. Schannep heard three volleys of gunfire and saw people running.
    “There was a burst of shots and more bursts of shots and people running everywhere,“ said Schannep, who works for local Congressman John Carter.
    The uniformed man who had warned him ran to the theater. Schannep said he could see the man’s back was bloodied from a wound. The man survived, was treated and will be fine, Schannep said.
    Cone said initially three people were held, and all have been interviewed. Authorities believe, however, that there was a single shooter.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Their identities, and the identities of the dead, were not immediately released.
    Amber Bahr, 19, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition, said her mother, Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis.
    “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Hasan was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001 and was at Walter Reed for six years for his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    The attack happened just down the road from one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. On Oct. 16, 1991, George Hennard smashed his pickup truck through a Luby’s Cafeteria window in Killeen, Texas, and fired on the lunchtime crowd with a high-powered pistol, killing 22 people and wounding at least 20 others.
    No other shooting at a military base in the U.S. has been anywhere near as deadly as Thursday’s. In 1993, a gunman at Fort Knox shot five civilian co-workers, killing three, and then fatally shot himself.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    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, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco.
    —-
    Barrett reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.
   

————

9:40 p.m.

By Lindsey Ward, in the field
WSLS Reporter

I’m in Blacksburg.  I spoke with John Clark, a current member of the Virginia Tech Army ROTC.

Clark said he watchng the events in Fort Hood, Texas unfold on television has hard enough, but to know the suspect was a former Hokie makes it even worse.

“When I found out more details of course it was more shocking.  These soldiers were preparing to go overseas and then they get killed on their own base… It’s just too bad he happened to be a Virginia Tech graduate,“ Clark said.

————-

9:15 p.m.

By WSLS News Staff

News conference with Army at Ft. Hood, Texas going on now:

Army says Hasan is alive, and in stable condition following surgery.  Initial reports said Hasan was killed.

Army says a woman among the first responders shot Hasan.

Army says Hasan was the only person responsible for the shootings, which changes previous reports of two other soldiers involved.

Army says soldiers on base do not generally carry weapons, except during training exercises.

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A U.S. Army spokesman says the Fort Hood shootings suspect is alive and was not killed by authorities responding to the attack.
    Lt. Gen. Bob Cone also says the death toll from the attack remains 12 after another victim died.
    Authorities said immediately after Thursday’s attack that they had killed the suspected shooter. But Cone now says the suspected shooter is alive and stable condition.
    Cone offered little explanation to reporters at a news conference as to why the suspect was believed dead, saying only there was confusion at the hospital.

———-

9:08 p.m.

By LARA JAKES and PAM HESS
Associated Press Writer

    WASHINGTON (AP) - The Army psychiatrist suspected of carrying a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, had come to the attention of authorities six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
    The postings appeared to have been made by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was killed during the shootings at the Army post incident that left least 11 others dead and 31 wounded. The officials say they are still trying to confirm that he was the author. They say an official investigation was not opened.
    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.
    One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.
    “To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause,“ said the Internet posting. “Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers.“
    Military officials said Hasan, 39, had worked for six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where he had received a poor performance evaluation. He transferred to Fort Hood in July.
    The officials, who had access to Hasan’s military record, spoke on condition of anonymity because such records are confidential.
    Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said Hasan was about to deploy overseas, but it was not known whether he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
    Retired Army Col. Terry Lee told Fox News that he worked with Hasan, who had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Lee said Hasan got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars, and had tried hard to prevent his pending deployment.
    Hasan was single with no children. He was born in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. He did his internship, residency and a fellowship at Walter Reed.

—————

8:58 p.m.

By Jay Warren
WSLS Anchor

I talked to the communications director for Virginia Tech twice tonight.

At 7:00 p.m. Mark Owczarski said the university would not be able to confirm whether Hasan was a graduate of Virginia Tech, as he did not have access to those records after working hours.

By WSLS News Staff

The Washington Post reports it has found voting records for Hasan from Virginia.  The Post reports those records show that Hasan previously lived in Vinton and Roanoke.  The Post also reports that Hasan’s aunt said that Hasan’s parents were Palestinians from the West Bank, and that Hasan was born at Arlington Hospital Center.

————-

8:24 p.m.

Fox News is reporting an interview with a man claiming to be the cousin of Nidal Malik Hasan, saying the following:

The shooter’s cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News that their family is in shock.

“We are trying to make sense of all this,“ Nader Hasan said. “He wasn’t even someone who enjoyed going to the firing range.“

He said his cousin, who was born and raised in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech University, turned against the wars after hearing the stories of those who came back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Nader Hasan said his cousin, who was raised a Muslim, wanted to go into the military against his parent’s wishes — but was taunted by others after the terror attacks of Sept. 11.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
    The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Two other soldiers taken into custody following the deadly rampage have been released, Fort Hood spokesman Christopher Haug told The Associated Press. “They’re not believed to be involved in the incident,“ Haug said. He said a third person was in custody, however.
    It was unclear what the motive was. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.
    Military officials say Hasan, 39, was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials, who had access to Hasan’s military record, said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
    The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampman, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, Carter’s regional director in Texas, was at Fort Hood, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter. Schanepp was at a graduation ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.
    Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Pfund said Bahr joined the reserves when she was 17 to earn money for school and loved being in the military even though none of her friends were interested in joining the Army.
    A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.
    “I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today,“ Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in April, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood.
    —-
    Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report. Barrett reported from Washington, D.C.

————-

8:15 p.m.

By LARA JAKES
Associated Press Writer

    WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal law enforcement officials say the suspected Fort Hood, Texas, shooter had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats.
    The officials say the postings appeared to have been made by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was killed during the shooting incident that left least 11 others dead and 31 wounded. The officials say they are still trying to confirm that he was the author. They say an official investigation was not opened.
    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.
    One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

————

8:12 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
    The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Two other soldiers taken into custody following the deadly rampage were later released, the office of a Texas congressman said. A spokesman for Rep. John Carter says Fort Hood officials informed Carter’s office of the release. Carter’s congressional district includes the Army base.
    A Fort Hood spokesman could not confirm that the two had been released.
    It was unclear what the motive was. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.
    Military officials say Hasan, 39, was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials, who had access to Hasan’s military record, said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
    The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampman, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, Carter’s regional director in Texas, was at Fort Hood, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter. Schanepp was at a graduation ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.
    Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Pfund said Bahr joined the reserves when she was 17 to earn money for school and loved being in the military even though none of her friends were interested in joining the Army.
    A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.
    “I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today,“ Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in April, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood.
    —-
    Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.
   

————

8:06 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AP sources: Fort Hood suspect drew attention of authorites 6 months ago for Internet posts.

————-

7:56 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
    The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Two other soldiers taken into custody following the deadly rampage were later released, the office of a Texas congressman said. A spokesman for Rep. John Carter says Fort Hood officials informed Carter’s office of the release. Carter’s congressional district includes the Army base.
    A Fort Hood spokesman could not confirm that the two had been released.
    It was unclear what the motive was. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.
    Military officials say Hasan, 39, was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials, who had access to Hasan’s military record, said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
    The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, Carter’s regional director in Texas, was at Fort Hood, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter. Schanepp was at a graduation ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.
    Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Pfund said Bahr joined the reserves when she was 17 to earn money for school and loved being in the military even though none of her friends were interested in joining the Army.
    A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.
    “I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today,“ Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in April, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood.
    —-
    Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.

————-

7:40 p.m.

Both the Associated Press and NBC News are now saying that the shooting suspect’s name is Nidal Malik Hasan, based on military records.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
    The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    Two other soldiers taken into custody following the deadly rampage were later released, the office of a Texas congressman said. A spokesman for Rep. John Carter says Fort Hood officials informed Carter’s office of the release. Carter’s congressional district includes the Army base.
    Officials at Fort Hood did not immediately return calls seeking comment to confirm the report.
    It was unclear what the motive was. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said the Army major was about to deploy overseas, though it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and when he was scheduled to leave. Hutchison said she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood.
    Military officials say Hasan, 39, was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July. The officials, who had access to Hasan’s military record, said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
    The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
    Officials were investigating whether Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name, possibly as part of a conversion to Islam. However, they were not certain of his religion.
    The Soldier Readiness Center holds hundreds of people and is one of the most populated parts of the base, said Steve Moore, a spokesman for III Corps at Fort Hood. Nearby there are barracks and a food center where there are fast food chains.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, Carter’s regional director in Texas, was at Fort Hood, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter. Schanepp was at a graduation ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.
    The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.
    Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    Pfund said Bahr joined the reserves when she was 17 to earn money for school and loved being in the military even though none of her friends were interested in joining the Army.
    A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.
    “I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today,“ Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in April, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    Fort Hood officially opened on Sept. 18, 1942, and was named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood.
    —-
    Associated Press Writers Pam Hess, Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas and Colin Fly in Milwaukee and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.
   

————-

7:12 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison says the Army major accused of the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, was about to deploy overseas.
    Hutchison says she was told about the upcoming deployment by generals based at Fort Hood. But it was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan and exactly when he was scheduled to leave.
    Military officials in Washington say the suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.
    The soldier is accused of opening fire on the base on Thursday in a shooting that left 11 other people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other soldiers.
    —-
    Associated Press Writer Pamela Hess in Washington contributed to this report.

————

7:03 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Military officials say the suspected shooter at Fort Hood was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.
    The officials had access to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s military record. They said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed.
    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
    The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He was 39 years old.
    He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.

———

6:40 p.m.

NBC News: Fort Hood shooting suspect is Virginia Tech graduate

————-

6:35 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - An Army officer opened fire Thursday with two handguns at the Fort Hood military base in an attack that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman and apprehended two other soldiers in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base.
    There was no immediate word on a motive. The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He said 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.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan. The official said Hasan, believed to be in his late 30s, was killed after opening fire at the base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    A defense official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hasan was a mental health professional - an Army psychologist or psychiatrist. Officials say it was not clear what Hasan’s religion was, but investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name and converted to Islam at some point.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on nearby at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter’s regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter, whose district includes the Army post.
    Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said.
    The base was locked down after the shootings. The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Nine were taken to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. A hospital spokeswoman says all had been shot and are adults. A Fort Hood spokesman said he could not immediately confirm any identities of the injured.
    Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis., says her daughter, 19-year-old Amber Bahr, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition. “We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly,“ Pfund told The Associated Press. She couldn’t provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.
    “I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today,“ Texas Gov. Rick Perry said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in March, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    About a mile from Fort Hood’s east gate, Cynthia Thomas, director of Under the Hood Cafe, a coffee house and outreach center, was calling soldiers and friends on the post to make sure they’re OK.
    “It’s chaotic,“ Thomas said, as a SWAT team just drove by. “The phones are jammed. Everybody is calling family members and friends. Soldiers are running around with M-16s.“
    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.
    —-
    Associated Press Writers Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes, Suzanne Gamboa and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., Jay Root in Temple, Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas contributed to this report.

————-

5:55 p.m.

By APRIL CASTRO and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A soldier opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and apprehended two other soldiers suspected in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base.
    The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said at a news conference. He said 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.
    “It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s stunning,“ Cone said.
    A law enforcement official identified the shooting suspect as Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan. The official said Hasan, believed to be in his late 30s, was killed after opening fire at the base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
    The official says investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name, or if he changed his name and converted to Islam at some point in his life.
    Cone said the soldier used two handguns in the attack. It was not clear if the gunman had stopped to reload.
    A graduation ceremony for soldiers who finished college courses while deployed was going on in an auditorium at the Readiness Center at the time of the shooting, said Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a Fort Hood spokeswoman.
    Greg Schanepp, U.S. Rep. John Carter’s regional director in Texas, was representing Carter at the graduation, said John Stone, a spokesman for Carter, whose district includes the Army post.
    Schanepp was at the ceremony when a soldier who had been shot in the back came running toward him and alerted him of the shooting, Stone said. The soldier told Schanepp not to go in the direction of the shooter, he said. Stone said he believes Schanepp was in the theater.
    The base was locked down after the shootings. The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said.
    The shootings on the Texas military base stirred memories of other recent mass shootings in the United States, including 13 dead at a New York immigrant center in March, 10 killed during a gunman’s rampage across Alabama in March and 32 killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at Virginia Tech in 2007.
    Around the country, some bases stepped up security precautions, but no others were locked down.
    “The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn’t yet been defined, and we’re reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility,“ said Capt. Rob Dolan, public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
    In Washington, President Barack Obama called the shooting “a horrific outburst of violence.“ He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    “We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,“ the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.“
    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.
    About a mile from Fort Hood’s east gate, Cynthia Thomas, director of Under the Hood Cafe, a local coffee shop and nonprofit military support center, has been calling soldiers and friends on the post to make sure they’re OK.
    “It’s chaotic,“ Thomas said, as a SWAT team just drove by. “They’re just saying that they’re under attack they don’t know what’s going on. ... The phones are jammed. Everybody is calling family members and friends. Soldiers are running around with M-16s.“
    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.
    —-
    AP National Security Writer Anne Gearan and Associated Press writers Suzanne Gamboa, Lolita C. Baldor and Devlin Barrett in Washington, D.C., and Associated Press Writer Jay Root in Fort Worth, Associated Press Writers Linda Stewart Ball, Anabelle Garay and Andre Coe in Dallas contributed to this report.

———-

5:11 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is calling a mass shooting at a Texas Army base a “horrific outburst of violence.“
    He says he doesn’t yet know all the details but promised the government would get “answers to every single question.“
    The commander in chief says it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.
    Obama also said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.
    The U.S. Army says 12 people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting rampage on the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

———-

5:03 p.m.

By JAY ROOT and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers

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

    Lt. Gen Bob Cone said at a news conference that one shooter has been killed and two suspects were apprehended on Thursday.  He says they are all U.S. soldiers.

    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.

————

4:57 p.m.

By JAY ROOT and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers

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

    The Army says one shooter has been killed and two others apprehended on Thursday in the shooting and all are U.S. soldiers.

———

4:52 p.m.

Army says 12 dead, 31 injured.

One soldier arrested, two soldiers are suspects.

————

4:48 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Army official says 9 dead at Fort Hood, Texas.

————-

4:43 p.m.

By JAY ROOT and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - At least seven people were killed and 20 wounded in two shootings Thursday at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, the Army said. At least two gunmen were believed to be involved in attack, and one was in custody, the military said.
    The first shooting began at about 1:30 p.m. at a personnel and medical processing office, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said. The facility, called a Soldier Rating and Processing center, handles administrative details for soldiers.
    Banks says the second shooting took place at a theater on the sprawling base.
    Sgt. Rebekah Lampam, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood, said it was not known whether the shooters were soldiers or civilians.
    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.
    —-
    AP National Security Writer Anne Gearan and Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Devlin Barrett in Washington, D.C., and Associated Press Writer Linda Stewart Ball in Dallas contributed to this report.

————-

4:33 p.m.

By JAY ROOT and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A Fort Hood spokeswoman says one shooter is in custody after a mass shooting on the Texas Army base. Army officials say at least seven people are dead and 20 wounded.
    Fort Hood spokeswoman Sgt. Rebekah Lampan says authorities believe at least two gunmen were involved in the attack on Thursday.
    She says it is not known whether the shooters were soldiers or civilians.
    Lt. Col. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman in Washington, says there was a pair of shootings at the base.
    Banks says the first shooting was at 1:30 p.m. and at personnel and medical processing office. He says the second incident took place at a theater on the base.

———-

4:29 p.m.

By ANNE GEARAN
AP National Security Writer

    WASHINGTON (AP) - At least seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings Thursday at the Fort Hood, Texas, the Army said.
    An army spokesman said the base was locked down after the shootings. Another official told The Asociated Press that at least one shooter had been caught.
    The FBI was sending agents to the scene.
    Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks says the first shooting began at about 1:30 p.m. at a personnel and medical processing office. The facility, called a Soldier Rating and Processing center, handles administrative details for soldiers.
    Banks says two shooters were apparently involved. There was no immediate word on who they were, nor on identities of the dead.
    Banks says the second incident took place at a theater on the sprawling base.
    Another Army official identified that site as the Howze Theater.
    That official, who requested anonymity to discuss an evolving incident, said a graduation had been scheduled for 2 p.m. at the theater.
    As the White House gathered details on the shooting, President Barack Obama was still planning to speak late Thursday afternoon at the closing of a White House conference with the American Indian leaders, being held at the Interior Department. Obama was running behind in departing the White House, though.
    It was not clear whether the president would address the shooting during his appearance at the event.
    Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban said officials are still collecting information on the shootings. “DoD, DHS, FBI and other members of the intelligence community are assessing and gathering facts about the shooting,“ Kuban said. “Because this is early in this event, we cannot at this time confirm motives behind these shootings.“
    —-
    Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Devlin Barrett, Ben Feller and Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.
   

————

4:27 p.m.

By JAY ROOT and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A Fort Hood spokeswoman says one shooter is in custody after a mass shooting on the Texas Army base. Army officials say at least seven people are dead and 20 wounded.
    Fort Hood spokeswoman Sgt. Rebekah Lampan says authorities believe at least two gunmen were involved in the attack on Thursday.
    She says it is not known whether the shooters were soldiers or civilians.
    Lt. Col. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman in Washington, says there was a pair of shootings at the base.
    Banks says the first shooting was at 1:30 p.m. and at personnel and medical processing office. He says the second incident took place at a theater on the base.

—————-

4:12 p.m.

By ANNE GEARAN
AP National Security Writer

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings Thursday at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, the Army says.
  An army spokesman in Washington says the base has been locked down following the shootings. Another official told The Asociated Press that at least one shooter had been caught.
  The FBI is sending agents to the scene.
  Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks says the first shooting began at about 1:30 p.m. at a personnel and medical processing office. The facility, called a Soldier Rating and Processing center, handles administrative details for soldiers.
  Banks says two shooters were apparently involved. There was no immediate word on who they were, nor on identities of the dead.
  Banks says the second incident took place at a theater on the sprawling base.
  Another Army official identified that site as the Howze Theater.
  That official, who requested anonymity to discuss an evolving incident, said a graduation had been scheduled for 2 p.m. at the theater.
  The White House said President Barack Obama was notified of the shootings.
  —-
  Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.

———-

4:11 p.m.

Update from MSNBC:

At least seven people are dead and 20 wounded in a mass shooting Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas, and at least one suspect is believed to be holed up in a building and shooting at SWAT team members, NBC News and affiliate KCEN reported.
It was unknown whether the victims were all soldiers or civilians at Fort Hood, one of the largest military complexes in the world.

————

3:56 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has been briefed about reports of a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
    White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president is being kept updated as details about the shooting emerge.
    Gibbs said he told Obama about TV news reports that seven people were dead at the Texas military location and others were injured. Gibbs said he informed Obama based on broadcast reports and the president is being kept up to date through the White House Situation Room.

—————

3:54 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Army says seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.
    An Army spokesman at the Pentagon says the shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a personnel and medical processing center at Fort Hood.
    The spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks, says two shooters were apparently involved. There is no word yet on who they were, nor on identities of the dead.
    Banks says the second incident took place at a theater on the sprawling base.
    He says it is too soon to tell whether there is any link to battle stress or repeated deployments. The Army is suffering a record high suicide rate and other signs of stress from fighting two wars.