At a news conference LTG Cone the Commander of III Corps and Fort Hood revealed that the shooter suspected in the killing of 12 soldiers and wounding of 31 others is alive and in stable condition and not dead as initially reported. Major Malik Nidal Hasan a psychiatrist was supposedly upset that he had orders to deploy to Iraq.
Major Malik Nidal Hasan the Killer of 12 Soldiers
Once again I was correct in my suppositions about the suspect. I was telling the Abbess at dinner that I believed that he was an American citizen who went through a commissioning program at a major university before attending medical school. Major Hasan was a graduate of Virginia Tech and its Army ROTC program before attending the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He reportedly received a poor Officer Evaluation Report (OER) at Walter Reed before being assigned to Fort Hood. There is speculation that the he viewed his deployment to Iraq as punishment.
If Major Hasan survives his wounds the truth may come out. Thankfully he has not as yet taken his secrets to the grave. If there is a conspiracy or other possible terrorist involvement or even a psychiatric disorder we may find an answer to the carnage and terror that his actions have caused. It is possible that he did this simply out of being pissed at the Army for his bad OER and deployment orders and taking it out on his fellow soldiers. The worst scenario is if is a deliberate terrorist act committed by a man committed to a radical ideology. That suggests if an officer is capable of such an act that others may be capable of the same. If it is a case of a provider who has hit the wall in dealing with his patients trauma it is also frightening. If it is a case of a man who is angry at the Army for real or perceived injustices it is another matter. The only scenario that makes sense to me is in regard to the targets of his attack. The choice of his fellow soldiers could be indicative of the terrorist motive. The choice of victims could also be indicative of his motivations. There are reports that Major Hasan was strongly opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also made internet postings about suicide bombings. While this is still not yet confirmed if it is true than it it could indicate terrorist involvement apart from Major Hasan.
Please pray for the victims and their friends and families.
Peace,
Padre Steve+
The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 