BEAUMONT, Texas (CNS) – “We hope and pray that our soldiers
do not die on the battlefields. Then something like this
happens on one of our bases by a fellow soldier,” said Bishop
Curtis J. Guillory of Beaumont about the Nov. 5 shootings at
the Fort Hood Army base in Texas that left 13 dead and
another 30 wounded.
“What happened today is a tragedy. Our prayers are with those
who are affected and their families, and I pray for comfort
and healing of those who were shot,” he said.
The base, about an hour north of Austin, is in the Austin
Diocese.
Msgr. Michael Mulvey, Austin’s diocesan administrator, said
in a Nov. 6 statement: “All of us are in shock by the horrors
of yesterday’s tragedy at Fort Hood. Our prayers and tears go
out to the victims and their families. I have spoken with the
Archdiocese for the Military Services and to Archbishop
(Timothy P.) Broglio, and I have offered the services of the
Diocese of Austin.”
Suspected in the shooting at the base is Maj. Nidal Hasan,
39, the Muslim, Virginia-born son of Jordanian immigrants who
was scheduled to go soon on his first deployment to the
Middle East – a deployment he had sought to avoid.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m. 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.
Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said at a Nov. 5 press conference the
shooter used two handguns in the attack. A dozen soldiers and
one civilian were killed.
Inside the processing center, soldiers were preparing for
deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Cone said he did
not yet have information on which units were inside at 1:30
p.m., when the shooting took place.
President Barack Obama called the incident “a horrific
outburst of violence.”
“These are men and women who made the selfless and courageous
decision” to risk their lives in the service of the nation,
Obama said. “It is horrifying that they should come under
fire at an Army base on American soil.”
“We are all praying for those who were wounded and hoping for
their full and speedy recovery,” said Vice President Joe
Biden. “Our thoughts and prayers are also with the entire
Fort Hood community as they deal with this senseless
tragedy.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the shooting at
Fort Hood “an unspeakable tragedy for the families, soldiers,
civilians and support staff on the base. Our brave men and
women in uniform train day in and day out to preserve our
security. They should never have to face the forces of
violence here at home.”
James Zogby, a Catholic who is founder and president of the
Arab American Institute and a prominent pollster, said in a
Nov. 6 statement: “We at the Arab American Institute are
horrified by this tragic and senseless act of violence
committed by a disturbed individual. We grieve with the
families of those who died and those who were wounded. Our
thoughts and prayers are with them.”
“We condemn this cowardly attack in the strongest terms
possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the
full extent of the law. No religious or political ideology
could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate
violence,” said a Nov. 5 statement from the Council on
American Islamic Relations.
“The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the
all-volunteer Army that protects our nation,” the statement
said. “American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in
offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences
to the families of those killed or injured.”
Fort Hood is the U.S. military’s largest installation and the
only Army post in the United States that houses two armored
divisions. It’s home to the 1st Cavalry and the 3rd Corps,
the Army’s official counteroffensive force.
About 65,000 soldiers and family members live on the post,
which is halfway between Waco and Austin.
