I've read a lot about the Fort Hood massacre, but one question hasn't been addressed: don't soldiers carry weapons? How did one gunman with two pistols manage to shoot 45 people without being stopped? Here's how it went down, according to most reports.
The shooting spree began as some 300 soldiers had been lined up to get vaccinations and have their eyes tested at a Soldier Readiness Center, where troops who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening. Nearby, others were lining up in commencement robes for a ceremony to celebrate soldiers and families who had recently earned degrees.Soldiers reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great!" — before opening fire, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the base commander. He said officials had not confirmed that Hasan made the comment.
Officials are not ruling out the possibility that some of the casualties may have been victims of "friendly fire," shot by responding military officials. ...
The gunman was struck four times by a civilian police officer who was wounded herself. Base officials said Kimberly Munley fired on the suspect just three minutes after the gunfire erupted and that her efforts ended the crisis. Munley was recovering Friday at a hospital.
"It was an amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer," Cone said.
So maybe some casualties were the result of friendly fire, but I expect that the shooter caused the vast majority of them. With two semiautomatic pistols. While surrounded by soldiers.
Something doesn't add up.
You would be surprised to know that very few individuals on military bases are armed. There is a Military Police force but other than that, rifles and pistols are tightly controlled and kept locked in an armory. It is very much like being on a college campus or small town.
Somebody's going to have the balls to apply for a carry permit on base on the basis of Heller v DC. That's going to be a sight to see.
As for the story, I agree it doesn't make sense. I also suggest that at least for a few days, better to not pick at it too much.
I'm not trying to pick at it, I just think that there's more going on than meets the eye.
Of course there is. At this point, I'm more comfortable speculating. I've learned enough more that I think that whatever is going to have happened will already have happened.
1. If there was a team involved, a quick lie to try to lure the rest of the team to think we didn't know about them is a falsehood that deserves our silence.
2. If they're worried about an emotional anti-muslim backlash because they've uncovered something about mosque funding (the vast majority of which is coming from Wahabi Saudi Arabia) I'm comfortable letting them get their ducks in a row for a few days before they make their move to dispassionately arrest, try, and imprison those who should go through that process.
There's time enough come midweek to start putting the pressure on.