A US army major has opened fire on fellow soldiers at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing 12 people and injuring 31, officials say.
Base commander Lt Gen Bob Cone said that the gunman had not been killed, as earlier stated, but was in custody.
Who would do such a terrible thing, and why? Of course all the answers aren't in yet, but so far this is what's known.
The gunman has been named as Major Nidal Malik Hasan. He is now said to be wounded after being shot a number of times, but in a stable condition in custody.
"His death is not imminent," said Lt Gen Cone.
Maj Hasan, aged 39, was a military psychiatrist and was reportedly due to be sent on a mission to Iraq.
His cousin said Maj Hasan - a US-born Muslim - had been resisting such a deployment.
"He hired a military attorney to try to have the issue resolved, pay back the government, to get out of the military. He was at the end of trying everything," Nader Hasan told Fox News.
He also said that Nidal Malik Hasan had been battling racial harassment because of his "Middle Eastern ethnicity".
I've heard it said before, usually jokingly, that psychiatrists suffer from more than their share of mental illnesses. I realize this incident is no joke. Perhaps the breakdown of Maj. Hasan is a tragic illustration of that.
What's your opinion? Isn't it a sad irony that Maj. Hasan was probably the one to recommend others for discharge when they showed signs of instability, yet he himself had to stay in until he cracked?
Please leave a comment.
