Quick action by a Texas gun dealer and local police apparently stopped another planned attack on Fort Hood soldiers, and Congressman John Carter (R-TX) says those actions should be studied and emulated nationwide.
The suspect is now identified as U.S. Army PFC Naser Abdo, 21, a native of Garland, Texas. Abdo is reported AWOL since July 4 from the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was approved for Conscientious Objector status in May, but his discharge was placed on hold due to pending charges of possession of child pornography.
Abdo remains in custody of the Killeen Police Department , and the case is under ongoing investigation by KPD, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and FBI.
According to preliminary reports, Killeen gun dealer Guns Galore, the same store used by November 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting suspect Army Major Nidal Hasan, called Killeen police concerning a “suspicious male” who purchased three boxes of 12 gauge ammunition, smokeless gun powder, and a magazine for a Springfield 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The suspect paid for the items in cash and left the store via a taxi.
Carter, a former Texas judge, says a full investigation of the attempt should answer whether the suspect had previously been identified by the Army as a security threat and what actions had been taken in that event.
