Houston: The US has released the list of victims, six of them in their twenties, who were killed in the horrific shooting spree at the country's largest military base in Texas.
US military psychiatrist Maj Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly opened fire on Thursday at the Fort Hood military processing center, killing 13 persons and severely injuring 38 others before being shot and captured.
"These heroes are so much more than simply names," said Col John Rossi, deputy commander of the post, announcing the identities of the victims, who ranged from a pregnant soldier to a newlywed.
"I ask that you remember them all," Rossi said.
The victims ranged in age from 62 to 19. One of the victims was lieutenant colonel and five were involved in providing medical services to soldiers.
The gunman Hasan remains in critical condition and has not regained consciousness, base officials said.
A memorial service has been scheduled for Tuesday at Fort Hood, which would be attended by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama among others, White House sources said. Details of the trip were yet to be made public.
Immediately after the massacre, Obama asked all Americans "to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers."
"We will make sure to get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," Obama said.
The list of victims included: Michael Grant Cahill (62), Major L Eduardo Caraveo (52), Staff Sgt Justin M DeCrow (32), Capt John P Gaffaney (56), Spc. Frederick Greene (29), Spc. Jason Dean Hunt (22), Sgt Amy Krueger (29), Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka (19), Pfc. Michael Pearson (22), Capt Russell Seager, (41), Pvt Francheska Velez (21), Lt Col Juanita Warman (55), and Spc. Kham Xiong (23).
Meanwhile, former president George W Bush and his wife Laura visited wounded soldiers and their families at Fort Hood's Darnall Army Medical Center on Friday night.
Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in an e-mail that the
couple thanked Fort Hood's military leaders and hospital staff
for the "amazing care they are providing."
Gov. Rick Perry yesterday visited survivors of the Fort
Hood massacre and praised their resiliency.
"What I heard time after time in those hospital rooms was that its their honour to be able to serve our country, and that is a very humbling thing to watch a young man or woman whose life has been irreparably harmed in a violent act, yet their concern and their interest is in continuing to be able to serve this country," Perry said at a press conference outside the Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple.
Perry also praised the people who stood in queue for
hours to donate blood for the wounded and said, "the better
element of human nature kicked in."
Speaking about Fort Hood police officer Sgt Kimberly
Munley, who together with her partner Senior Sgt Mark Todd are
credited with stopping Hasan, Perry said, "She's very
understated; a person who understands the gravity of what
occurred but also a classic public servant who is not
interested in anything but getting on with her life and
hopefully never having an event like this ever occur again."
"There is no telling how many lives they saved, because
of their selfless and purposeful actions, and we're fortunate
to have first responders like that," Perry added.
The governor also said the Texas Rangers were involved in
the investigation immediately after the shooting.
W Roy Smythe, chief of surgery for Scott & White Memorial
Hospital, said several of those who were admitted into the
hospital Thursday are now home.
"There is a possibility that some of these patients have
been physically impaired for the rest of their lives, and
there is certainly no doubt that many of them will be
psychologically impaired for the rest of their lives," Smythe
said.
Meanwhile, Hasan was transferred to a San Antonio
military hospital while officials investigate the deadly
rampage.
According to a Muslim leader in Killeen, Texas,
yesterday, Army Maj Nidal Malik Hasan asked for advice on
speaking to soldiers.
Osman Danquah, co-founder of the Islamic Community of
Greater Killeen, said they spoke twice -- and the second time,
Hasan was almost incoherent. Hasan had a conflict over what to
tell fellow soldiers about fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Danquah said he was disturbed by Hasan's persistent
questioning and recommended the mosque reject Hasan's request
to become a lay Muslim leader at the sprawling Army post.
"But what if a person gets in and feels that it's just
not right?" Danquah recalled Hasan asking him.
"I told him, 'There's something wrong with you,'" Danquah
told AP yesterday. "I didn't get the feeling he was talking
for himself, but something just didn't seem right."
Bureau Report