centraltexasnow.comMore Information on Fort Hood Shooting Suspect
There are many unknowns about Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the man authorities say is responsible for the worst mass killing on a U.S. military base.
Gunfire Thursday at Fort Hood left 13 dead and 30 wounded.
Hasan, who was shot by a police officer, remains hospitalized.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.
The officials had access to Hasan's military record. They said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.
Federal law enforcement officials say the Hasan came to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats. Some postings equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades. The Associated Press reports officials have not determined for certain whether Hasan is the author of the posting.
The Virginia-born soldier is single with no children. He is 39 years old.
He is a graduate of 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.
Hasan's aunt, Noel Hasan of Falls Church, Va., told The Washington Post that he had been harassed about being a Muslim after the 2001 terror attacks and he wanted out of the Army.
She said he had sought a discharge from the military for several years, and even offered to repay the cost of his medical training.
A military official told AP Hasan was in the preparation stage of deployment, and Hasan had indicated he didn't want to go to Iraq but was willing to serve in Afghanistan.
A neighbor of Hasan's, Patricia Villa, Friday described how on Wednesday morning Hasan offered her some of his items, saying he was going to be deployed. He provided her some frozen broccoli, some spinach, T-shirts, shelves and a new Quran.
Villa said Hasan returned Thursday morning giving her his air mattress bed, several briefcases and a desk lamp. He then offered her $60 to clean his apartment.
Villa said Hasan "seemed like a real nice person." Col. Kimberly Kesling, deputy commander of clinical services at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, said Hasan had provided excellent care to his patients.
Because Hasan is a soldier and the shooting happened on base, protocol requires him to be tried in military court. If found guilty, he could be given one of three sentences: death by hanging, death by firing squad, or lethal injection.
