The flags at Texas Tech fly half-staff today for the loss of soldiers’ lives at Ft. Hood on Thursday and feelings on the Tech campus are of mourning for the unexpected killing spree that left 13 dead and 29 wounded at the country’s largest military institution.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim who is a suspect in the shootings, is thought to have international terrorist ties and authorities are investigating whether the crime was committed as an act of terrorism or if the incident was an individual acting out, according to reports from The Associated Press.
Bukky Oyewuwo, vice president of the Tech Muslim Student Association, said Muslims strongly condemn the actions of Hasan.
“I have not personally experienced any backlash, and I do not know of any Muslims here in Lubbock who have gotten any negative reactions,” Oyewuwo said. “Most people have been very supportive and have told me that the actions of one person does not define the religion of Islam.”
Joe Galloway, co-author of “We Were Soldiers Once...and Young” and journalist best known for reporting from the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, said he believes Hasan was mentally unstable.
“I think that it was something in his head,” he said. “There is an estimated 30 percent of the troops coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who have post-traumatic stress disorder and we are clearly not doing enough to take care of them.”
Galloway, who has seen first hand the effects of PTSD and experienced the disorder himself, said these situations need to be monitored more closely to help prevent events such as this from happening.
“It’s so shocking for families who made it through another deployment — their soldiers are home safe and in one of the safest places you can be,” he said. “Then one of their own guys goes nuts and kills and injures so many in such a short time.”
Miles Kroeger, an accounting graduate student, said he is from Killeen, where the base is located. Two of his family members are teachers at Fort Hood.
“I wasn’t around a TV when it happened, but I got the call from my family and they mentioned that there was a shooting and they were all OK,” he said. “It was definitely unexpected and it was hard being here six hours away at the time.”
Kroeger said the city is in remorse about all the lives lost.
“People aren’t really angry,” he said. “They are just trying to help all the families there that were directly affected by this.”
The Tech Student Government Association posted a note on the SGA Web site saying that the families of the victims are in their prayers and thoughts. SGA President Suzanne Williams said the association will have a meeting next week to discuss how it should offer condolences.
“Everyone is very sad and we feel for the families,” she said. “It was very eye-opening as to how things can happen and now we know just to be proactive as leaders.”
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