Posted on 04/05/2014 6:44:11 PM PDT by markomalley
As investigators continue to canvass a crime scene an area the size of two city blocks, details are emerging about the bravery soldiers displayed Wednesday when one of their own began shooting.
Maj. Patrick Miller, an Iraq veteran from New York, heard the “pop, pop, pop” of gunfire and rushed to get his soldiers into a closed office as quickly as possible, U.S. Rep. John Carter said Saturday.
While Miller was trying to help others, he was shot “in the gut,” but he put pressure on his own wound and kept moving the soldiers behind a door, said Carter, R-Texas, calling Miller “a very courageous young man.”
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel M. Ferguson, who was killed in the shooting, saved others by blocking a door with his body, Carter said.
Friday, Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, commander of III Corps and Fort Hood, said a chaplain also stepped in to shield and save other soldiers.
Investigators now believe an argument Spc. Ivan A. Lopez had with his superiors, which reportedly involved a leave request, was the impetus for the shooting, Milley said.
Carter and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, met with survivors of the shooting on Saturday morning. Ten of the 16 wounded have been released from hospitals and returned to their units, Milley said.
This is the second mass shooting by a soldier in uniform at the enormous Army post, one of the largest military installations in the world. Maj. Nidal Hasan last year was convicted and sentenced to death for an attack in 2009 that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Lopez bought the .45-caliber semi-automatic Smith and Wesson on March 1 at Guns Galore, the same Killeen, Texas, store where Hasan purchased the weapon he used in the 2009 shooting. Lopez has not been linked to any terrorist or extremist groups, and investigators do not believe he had a plan to target any of the victims, Milley and Chris Grey said Friday. Grey is spokesman for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command.
Still, Carter said he believes Hasan “planted the seed” for the most recent shooting.
“The man who wears your uniform is your battle buddy. You’re supposed to be able to trust him,” Carter said, calling the shooting of soldiers by other soldiers “a punch in the kidneys” to all servicemembers.
Servicemembers “expect, and rightfully so, to be safe in their home and on this post,” Williams said.
“Wednesday’s shooting brought the danger and the risk of the combat zone right into Fort Hood.”
Carter and Williams are pushing a bill called the Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, which would declare the 2009 shootings a terrorist attack and allow the servicemembers wounded or killed to be awarded the Purple Heart, and for the civilians wounded or killed to receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom.
I hope this is not more work place violence..
Four Cheers for Maj. Patrick Miller.
Raspberries to the people whore keeping the good guys un armed
Well the guy shouting Allah Akbar was deemed workplace violence. Doesn’t seem likely that the mentally disturbed guy will be anything less.
Except he was kinda white looking.
The Fort Hood soldiers were honored at the Final Four tonight.
All E7s, E8s, O2s and 03s should be required to pack at least a 38 special at all times while on Post or Base.
MASSIVE FAIL, twice.
Its only gun free for our servicemen and women. All others are allowed to have guns and play shoot the soldiers.
Id say its time to give up on the gun free zone concept.
while it may be impossible to keep all possible perps with guns out ..a FEW in the hands of those on the inside should be enough to lesson the body counts CONSIDERABLY
I was wondering what medals Miller and Ferguson could get. Unfortunately, all the highest ones specify you have to be in a combat zone against a foreign enemy. They would not be eligible for the Medal of Honor, for example.
They could get the Soldier’s Medal, but that’s about as high as it could go. Maybe it would be good if they amended the rules so people could get a Silver Star in this kind of situation where they risk their lives to save others while serving in uniform. What do the FR vets think?
Impossible for these shootings to occur!
Fort Hood is a “gun free zone” where the soldiers can not carry.
Been going on for years.
Post I was only, only the M.P.s could carry.
The sentries guarding isolated areas, were given a M-16 and 2 (or was it 3) rounds of ammo, kept in a clip, kept in their belt..not allowed to put the ammo into the gun.
Gun had to be carried empty.
Good idea for cops...allowed to carry guns but no ammo.
Would inspire the criminals.
Their OER or performance report should be lined in red white and blue so anyone else that ever looks at their record will see that they are of the highest caliber. Someone can correct me but The President (yea, sure) can offer and present certain medals.
What else could he do besides call 911? He was obviously in close proximity to the gunman and was shot. But as he was unarmed he couldn't do anything effective to stop him so he did what any good kindergarten teacher would be forced to do - hide the kids and hope the killer either ran out of bullets or didn't find them.
If Miller was armed, he maybe could have stopped the carnage - but then, the base would no longer be a "gun-free sone", would it?
Crazed gunmen aren't the only psychos running around out there. Liberals and their politically correct policies are too.
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