Timeline: Fort Hood shootings

On 5 November 13 people were killed and 30 injured in the worst mass shooting at a military base in the United States. This is a timeline of events surrounding the carnage at Fort Hood in Texas. 1330 local time (1930GMT): A US soldier, dressed in army uniform, enters the Soldier Readiness Center, armed with two non-military issue pistols, including a semi-automatic. Over a period of about 10 minutes he kills 12 soldiers and one civilian and injures 30 other people. About 400 people are at the centre, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning from operations come for medical screening. Military police and civilian officers of the Department of the Army return fire. Some soldiers treat their injured colleagues by ripping their uniforms to make bandages. Other soldiers close off nearby Howze Theater where about 600 people are attending a graduation ceremony for 138 soldiers. 1557 (2167 GMT): Base spokesman Lt Gen Bob Cone announces that the gunman has been shot dead. The Fort Hood compound is shut down. No-one is allowed in or out as a search is carried out for further suspects. 1606 (2206 GMT): President Barack Obama describes the shooting as a "horrific outburst of violence". 1630 (2230): US officials name the gunman as Army Major Nidal Malik Hassan, aged 39. 1830 (0230 GMT): Fort Hood declared safe. 1833 (0233 GMT): Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson says Maj Hassan, a military psychiatrist, was due to be deployed in Iraq. 1900 (0300 GMT): Lt Gen Cone announces Maj Hasan is alive. He describes him as a "sole" gunman. He said Maj Hasan was shot four times by a female officer who was herself injured. He is in hospital on a ventilator, in a stable condition, and under armed guard. It later emerges a second officer was also involved in stopping Maj Hasan. 1900 (0300 GMT): Nader Hasan tells Fox News his cousin Maj Hasan had complained of harassment because of his "Middle Eastern ethnicity" and had tried to leave the army. 2100 (0500 GMT): Fort Hood opened up but security is high. 6 November Early morning: Police search Maj Hasan's flat in nearby town of Killeen. Day of mourning observed at Fort Hood. 0700 (1300 GMT): The military says Maj Hasan was due to be deployed to Afghanistan to help soldiers with combat stress. 0950 (1550 GMT): Maj Hasan's family describes his actions as "despicable and deplorable". 1035 (1635 GMT): President Obama orders flags to be flown half-mast until 11 November.

Profile: Major Nidal Malik Hasan

12 October 2010 Last updated at 15:33

Maj Nidal Hasan had a track record of poor performance in the Army

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who has been charged with the murders of 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas, has been described as a devout Muslim whose commitment to the army may have been broken by his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - and by plans to deploy him to a war zone.

He is said to have been affected by injuries he saw at the Walter Reed Medical Army Center, where he worked until recently as a psychiatrist treating troops returning from combat.

But he also received poor ratings from supervisors and medical school faculty, with documents suggesting military officials overlooked signs he was not fit to be an army doctor.

Maj Hasan, 40, was born and raised in Virginia. His parents moved to the US from a Palestinian town near Jerusalem, according to his cousin.

After high school he joined the US Army, which put him through medical school.

He has been described as devout and discreet. A local imam told the Washington Post that he attended daily prayers at a mosque when he worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC.

"We hardly ever got to discussing politics," Faizul Khan said. "Mostly we were discussing religious matters, nothing too controversial, nothing like an extremist."

In other comments Mr Khan said that Maj Hasan had tried, but failed, to find an equally religious woman to marry.

On a form for those looking for spouses through the mosque he listed his birthplace as Arlington, Virginia, but his nationality as Palestinian, Mr Khan said.

'Worst nightmare'

Reports suggested in recent years he had become unhappy in the military. He had recently been transferred to Fort Hood.

His cousin said he had faced harassment over his "Middle Eastern ethnicity" and had been trying to leave the army.

His aunt, Noel Hasan, also blamed his desire to be discharged on harassment.

"Some people can take it, and some cannot," she told the Washington Post.

"He had listened to all of that, and he wanted out of the military, and they would not let him leave, even after he offered to repay."

Ms Hasan said her nephew had been upset by the injuries he saw at Walter Reed. "He must have snapped," she added.

She said Maj Hasan had spent holidays and free time at her house, and that he "did not make many friends".

He had joined the military over the wishes of his parents, who have since died, his aunt said. Despite his recent attempts to leave, "he would tell us the military was his life".

Several reports said Maj Hasan was about to be deployed overseas against his wishes.

"We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," his cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News.

The Associated Press cited an unnamed official as saying that Maj Hasan had received a poor performance evaluation from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center before transferring to Fort Hood in July.

Dr Thomas Grieger, who was training director at the centre while Maj Hasan was an intern there, said told AP that he had had "difficulties" that required counselling and extra supervision.

And in 2007. Maj Hasan was cited for unprofessional behavior, including inappropriately discussing religion. One instructor, Lt Col Donald Lundy, thought Maj Hasan risked developing a psychosis, the Associated Press reported.

Internet postings

However, Maj Hasan was "mostly very quiet", and never spoke ill of the military or his country, Dr Grieger added.

"He swore an oath of loyalty to the military," he said. "I didn't hear anything contrary to those oaths."

Col Terry Lee, who is retired but said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox that Maj Hasan had often got into arguments with military colleagues who supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maj Hasan had hoped that US President Barack Obama would pull troops out, Col Lee said.

One official was quoted by the New York Times as saying that the FBI had become aware of internet postings by a man calling himself Nidal Hasan.

In one such posting, the act of a suicide bomber who kills himself to protect Muslims was compared to a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to protect other soldiers.

However, officials said they had not confirmed that Maj Hasan was the author of the postings.

Maj Hasan is charged with 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11525580