13th Fort Hood victim ties; FBI probing whether web postings tied to Hasan
New details this morning on the shooting at Fort Hood, from USA Today, which also reports that a 13th victim has died:
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. citizen born in Virginia to Jordanian parents, was wounded by a civilian police officer responding to a shooting rampage that is believed to be the worst ever at a U.S. base, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, commanding general of Fort Hood.
Hasan was unconscious Friday, on a ventilator and in custody in a hospital. Immediately after the shootings, authorities began trying to determine whether the incident was a coordinated act or the work of a lone gunman. Three other people were questioned but were released, Cone said.
As of Friday morning, all of those wounded were listed in stable condition, said Col. Steven Braverman, hospital commander at the sprawling base. Half of those wounded required surgery, Braverman said.
Those who died included one civilian and 12 soldiers, military officials said at a morning news conference.
The shooter was wearing his uniform, said Col. John Rossi. Investigators are still tracing the handguns that were used in the shootings, Rossi said.
“We believe the evidence indicates it was a single shooter,” Cone said late Thursday, adding that despite earlier widespread reports that Hasan had been killed, the alleged gunman’s death was “not imminent.”
Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to determine whether web postings that touted suicide bombing and criticized the U.S. war in Iraq were in fact written by the same Nidal Hasan, while Republicans are already out front trying to find an overseas terror angle:
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin, was briefed by military officials and said Hasan had taken some unusual classes for someone studying about mental health.
“He took a lot of extra classes in weapons training, which seems a little odd for a psychiatrist,” McCaul said.
McCaul said Hasan had received poor grades for his work at Walter Reed and was not happy about his situation in Fort Hood, where Hasan apparently felt like “he didn’t fit in.”
“He’s disgruntled because he had a poor performance evaluation, he doesn’t believe in the mission, he’s looking at getting transferred to Afghanistan or Iraq,” McCaul said. “He’s not happy about all that.”
McCaul added that officials planned to interview Hasan to try to determine for sure that he was not working with foreign agents.
“From an intelligence standpoint, that’s key, finding out if he talked to anyone overseas,” McCaul said.
Hasan had come to the attention of federal law enforcement officials at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.
The official said investigators were trying to confirm that Hasan was the author of the postings, one of which was a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. One of the officials said federal search warrants were being drawn up to authorize seizure of Hasan’s computer.
Much will be made today of Hasan allegedly yelling “Allahu akbar” before opening fire, but again, the investigation is still unfolding, and there has been no confirmation of a religious motive. Until then, perhaps we should keep all Republican members of Congress on lock down, with the exception of the very sober Kay Bailey Hutchinson (who has been impressive during this crisis; something the state’s current governor surely has taken note of…)
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