Nov 5, 2009 7:46 pm US/Pacific
Official: Accused Ft. Hood Shooter Did Not Die
Hasan Was Preparing To Deploy Overseas
FORT HOOD, Texas (CBS) ―
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Officials say a shooting suspect at Fort Hood has been identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who they say was an Army mental health professional.
CBS
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Soldiers from 3rd Brigade "Grey Wolf" 1st Cavalry division from Fort Hood Texas get ready to return to the US after finishing their tour in Iraq at Warhorse base in Baquba, Diyala province, 27 November 2007.
Gianluigi Guercia/Getty Images
Federal law enforcement officials say the shooter suspected in the attack Thursday on Fort Hood, Texas, did not in fact die in an attack as had been previously reported. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is alive and has been hospitalized, according to Lt. Gen Bob Cone, the Commander of Fort Hood.
The death toll from the attack remains at 12, Cone said. The number of wounded is 31.
The officials say Internet postings about suicide attacks appeared to have been made by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, although they are still trying to confirm that Hasan was the author. Cone said investigators are not ruling out the possibility of a terrorist attack.
One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.
Hasan was a licensed psychiatrist in Bethesda, Md. He got his Virginia psychiatry license July 12, 2005.
It was not known whether he was treating people at the base. Hasan received poor performance evaluation for Army hospital work, according to an Associated Press source.
The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He graduated from Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.
Officials says it was not clear what Hasan's religion was, but investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name or if he may have changed his name and converted to the Islamic faith at some point.
According to the Army Times, Hasan was promoted to Major, medical corps on April 22, 2009. Hasan was about to deploy overseas, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson said. It was unclear if he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and when he was scheduled to leave.
Austin's Statesman.com reports that Jeff Sadosky, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, said the senator had been told that Hasan was upset about his upcoming deployment to Iraq.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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