House Army Caucus Co-Chairman John Carter (R-TX31) is praising Killeen police and a local gun dealer who have apparently stopped another attack on Fort Hood through early detection and teamwork
“Thanks to quick action by a Texas gun dealer in alerting local police to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Police Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation’s largest military installation. We now have an example of what works to prevent these type attacks, and as the coming days reveal more details about this attempt, we can determine better ways to thwart similar efforts in the future.”
According to preliminary information provided to Carter’s office, Killeen gun dealer Guns Galore, the same store used by November 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting suspect Major Nidal Hasan to purchase weapons used in that attack, called Killeen police concerning a “suspicious male” who purchased gunpowder, shotgun ammunition, and magazine for a semi-automatic handgun.
Killeen police investigations revealed the suspect also purchased uniforms with Fort Hood unit patches from a local military surplus store. On questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted to planning an attack on Fort Hood, and was taken into custody last night.
The suspect is identified only as U.S. Army PFC Abdul, and is allegedly AWOL from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Unconfirmed news reports say two more soldiers in possession of weapons may have been taken into custody today in the case.
Carter, a former Texas judge, says a full investigation of the attempt should answer whether the suspect or suspects had previously been identified by the Army as security threats, what actions had been taken in the event there was any prior display of suspicious activities or behavior, and whether there are any links to known terrorists groups or individuals.
