Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Larry King Live
The Latest on the Fort Hood Massacre
Aired November 06, 2009 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Good evening.
Incredible stories of sacrifice and survival are now emerging from Fort Hood, Texas. The latest numbers from yesterday's massacre -- 13 dead and 38 wounded. The alleged gunman is alive -- now in critical, but stable condition.
We'll have the latest reports from the scene, plus family members of victims will share their stories with us throughout the hour.
And, by the way, we are awaiting a press conference at any moment from inside of Fort Hood to update the situation there. We'll bring that to you as soon as it happens.
This is a special edition of LARRY KING LIVE.
Let's get to what's happening right now with CNN's own Ted Rowlands, who is in Killeen, Texas.
What's the status of the investigation, Ted, to this minute?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's ongoing. And the big question of course, Larry, is still why?
And whether or not investigators have a more clear picture or not is we -- well, we just don't know. Sources are telling us that the investigation continues. They were here, at the apartment where the shoot -- the alleged shooter was living over the last four months in Texas here. They pored over the inside of the apartment. They also talked to neighbors.
And we're learning more about those final days that he spent and, specifically, the final hours before he went on this rampage. According to neighbors, before he left here to go to the fort to start this massacre, he gave a few of his neighbors -- people that he really didn't even talk to very often, a copy of the Koran. He also gave his next door neighbor all of his furniture. Clearly, he knew that he was never coming back.
Investigators do say that the two guns involved, according to sources, have been traced or tracked down. Basically, one of them was purchased legally, according to a source, here in -- in Texas by the alleged shooter. And the other one they have tracked down. They're not sure of its origin. However, they are working on that.
Now, you mentioned the dead and the wounded. The wounded -- 38 of them is still the tally. Thirty-four of them have suffered gunshot wounds. But, of course, today, the main theme here was a day of mourning and just disbelief, not only on the fort, but throughout Central Texas and the neighboring towns that rely so much on this base.
People just getting through the day in different ways. There were candlelight vigils tonight and a moment of silence on the fort today. And throughout this community, people were just shaking their heads, all of them wondering why this had to happen.
KING: Ted, why do -- what do we know is the condition of the suspect?
ROWLANDS: Four gunshot wounds. He is in critical, but stable condition. He is obviously in custody while he's also being treated. He was airlifted out of here, to San Antonio, earlier this afternoon. But he is alive. You know, those earlier reports that he was dead -- he is alive and he is in critical condition. But they are saying that he is stable.
We don't know if there's -- if they've had an opportunity to talk to him or if he has talked to investigators about why he may have done this.
BLITZER: Thanks, Ted.
Ted Rowlands on the scene in Killeen, Texas.
We'll stay in Killeen and talk to Erin Houston, a neighbor of Kimberly Munley. That's the police officer credited with shooting the Fort Hood gunman.
When you heard it was Kimberly that did this, what did you think, Erin?
ERIN HOUSTON, NEIGHBOR OF FORT HOOD HERO: I wasn't surprised at all. I knew she's a strong woman. She had an incident in our neighborhood where a house almost got broke into. And she chased the juveniles off and went after them in the neighborhood to search to make sure they weren't trying to break into anybody else's houses. And she -- the next day, she came and warned us that this had happened and to be aware of this situation, that this is their M.O. People are coming to break into houses. And as soon as you come to the door, they'll barge in and rob you.
KING: Wow!
HOUSTON: And so she warned us of the situation before. So she was a hero in our neighborhood already.
KING: So she is the heroic type, yes?
HOUSTON: Yes, she is.
KING: Your mom -- your mother is a paramedic at Fort Hood.
Was she there yesterday? HOUSTON: Yes, she was.
KING: What could she -- what could she tell you about what happened?
HOUSTON: She said that there was a lot of chaos, but it was organized chaos. She was amazed with the -- with response of all the medical units that arrived for help and the police and the response of all the EMF services and the soldiers that were there also helping one another out.
KING: Now, I know you were in the service, Erin. Your husband is still in the service.
How do you think this affects the military community?
HOUSTON: It's definitely a sad, sad day. It's sad to know that we were hurt here on our own homeland, where we're supposed to feel safe, especially with the soldiers that are coming back from Iraq the soldiers getting ready to go to Iraq, the soldiers getting ready to go to Iraq and always have to deal with that situation overseas as it is. We're supposed to feel safe in our homeland. And it's sad that it had to happen here.
KING: Do you know of any services that are planned over the weekend?
HOUSTON: I'm not aware of any that are planned so far.
KING: Thanks, Erin.
Erin Houston, a neighbor of Kimberly Munley, reporting on her neighbor's heroism.
We'll speak to a father who says his son looked the shooter straight in the eye and survived, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back to LARRY KING LIVE.
Joining us now by phone is Dave Moxson.
His son, Army Specialist Grant Moxson, was wounded in yesterday's rampage at Fort Hood. His son, by the way, pretended to be dead, hoping to survive.
How is he doing?
DAVE MOXON, SON WITNESSED FORT HOOD RAMPAGE: He's doing quite well, actually. I just spoke to him a little while ago and he said he's not sleeping well.
He's in some pain, but he said he got probably the least of it of those that were shot. And, definitely, he's got a very positive attitude. KING: Where was he wounded?
What -- what part of the body was affected?
MOXON: The side of the thigh, slightly above the knee. And the bullet is embedded in the -- in the -- in the leg there. And they will not remove it because they think there will be more damage if they remove it.
KING: Now, once you heard about the Fort Hood tragedy, did you immediately think of your son and worry that -- that he might be involved?
MOXON: I really wasn't worried about it because he had just arrived there Wednesday evening. And I thought, nah, it's -- it's a huge base, 50,000.
What's the likelihood of him being involved in this, you know?
KING: Yes.
MOXON: And...
KING: How did you find out it was him?
MOXON: Well, about 10 minutes after a cousin called me asking about that same situation, I got a text message from him saying, "This is Grant. I have been shot in the leg, but I will be OK."
KING: Now, the ironic thing is your son is a mental health specialist, right?
MOXON: That is correct.
KING: And we understand he was scheduled to come home for Thanksgiving and then go to Afghanistan.
MOXON: That is correct.
KING: Can we imagine that's all changed?
Well, he'll still get home, won't he, for Thanksgiving?
MOXON: I'm sure he will. And as of tonight, he said he has been told nothing, so he knows nothing about any future plans at this point.
KING: And one other thing, Dave.
How do you feel about your son being in service and about him going there?
MOXON: Well, you know, I -- I felt better when he was originally scheduled to go to Iraq than Afghanistan. But, you know, he took it philo -- philosophically. He said, I signed up for the Army Reserve. You know this is part of it. You know, if they want me to go, I have to go. And, you know, that's the way it is. So he wasn't too concerned about it and...
KING: Wow!
MOXON: ...I guess I wasn't too worried about it. It's just, this was a big surprise, you know?
KING: Yes.
We wish him God speed.
Give him our best, will you, Dave?
MOXON: I will do that.
KING: Thank you so much.
MOXON: You're welcome.
KING: Let's go to Fort Hood and Ed Lavandera, our CNN correspondent.
What do we know about the weapons that were used yesterday by this suspect -- Ed?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were two handguns, one of them a semiautomatic handgun, the type of weapon, actually, authorities here are saying that is the type of weapon that is prized by drug cartels. So you can imagine how that kind of weaponry was able to unleash a lot of damage in a short amount of time, like you saw happen.
And we understand that one of those guns, at least, was purchased legally here in a -- at a gun shop just about a mile or so away from the Fort Hood base.
KING: Officer Munley is the one who shot the suspect. We just spoke to her neighbor.
How is she doing?
LAVANDERA: Well, it's interesting, we've had an interview with the father of Officer Munley who was from North Carolina. Having spent most of the day traveling here, we don't know exactly for sure if he's bedside with her. By this hour, we do -- we can presume that that's probably the case. We understand he's been traveling throughout the day.
But before leaving there, he -- he had said that she -- that he had spoken with her, that she was doing well, that, actually, most of her concern was with the other wounded people and making sure that they would pull through, and, obviously, with the families of -- of those that died yesterday.
But her father was saying that the -- the injuries are not life- threatening, that she's gone through surgery, she's stable and -- and doing fine and being very responsive. KING: Now, the suspect was moved from Fort Hood to another hospital.
Do you know why?
LAVANDERA: That's a good question. We're not exactly clear as to why this happened. Brooke Armey Medical Center in San Antonio is a -- it's a famous place, actually, in Texas, given all of the work that they've done with soldiers that have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think one of the things that I think people are -- are probably speculating about or wondering about, at this point, is, you know, whether or not it might have had to do some, you know, with his safety. We know that he has been guarded in the -- in the hospital room where he was at here in the -- in the Killeen area. But exactly why, officially, he -- he was moved isn't exactly clear at this point.
KING: Is the suspect -- we've been told, there was different reports -- is he unconscious?
LAVANDERA: My understanding was that he was on a ventilator and -- and unable to -- to communicate. Beyond that, we haven't had a lot of details. I think the one description that we had gotten from -- from officials here was that he was in critical condition. So obviously in j in a condition that he's not able to communicate. But one of the interesting things was is that the lieutenant general here...
KING: All right, Ed.
LAVANDERA: -- at Fort Hood came in...
KING: We're going to cut in, Ed.
LAVANDERA: -- and said that...
KING: hold on.
LAVANDERA: Sorry, there's a big (INAUDIBLE).
KING: I've got to cut in because we've got a -- we've got a press conference going on at Fort Hood.
Let's go right to that.
COL. (P) JOHN ROSSI, DEPUTY COMMANDING GENERAL, FORT HOOD: We're very confident that we've secured the installation and have gathered enough information and have allowed it to get to the appropriate level where the focus now is truly on the healing and reflection regarding this -- this horrible tragedy.
I'm going to give you some information. Fort Hood remains secure. As I mentioned this morning, we're very confident Fort Hood is a secure installation. And we've -- with selective security enhancements, we will continue, in the short-term, to reinforce that. At this time, we continue to track the that 13 have been killed, 12 soldiers and one civilian, and 23 currently remain hospitalized.
The suspect, Major Hasan, was transported today, approximately 3:00 p.m., to Brooke Army Medical Center. I want to emphasize, again, as I'm focused on the transport of Major Hasan, there might have been some interpretation -- misinterpretation of when we mentioned that the -- the potential lack of communication internal to us regarding his status at the scene yesterday.
Let me make it very clear. From the time that Major Hasan was shot and went down, he was in -- there was 100 percent control of him as he was moved and MediVaced to the local hospital, where he remained in control with federal agents from the get go. It was an internal lack of communication that was the issue, which we regret. But there was never a period where we had -- that there was ever a loss of control of that of that -- of the suspect.
We have established the Fort Hood Grieving Center, built upon the backbone of Fort Hood's Resiliency Campus, and we are providing 24-7 clergy, support and counseling for service members, civilians and families.
We're -- we are working closely with unit commanders to ensure our people are cared for and never become isolated. After this incident, again, we're in -- into a transition period here. We're going to focus on the caring of -- of those individuals and highlight that none of them, whether witnesses, wounded, ever become isolated during this -- during this period.
Today we conducted a moving departure ceremony called a Ramp Ceremony for the dignified transfer of the remains. Thirteen flag- draped coffins departed today from our air field for Dover, Delaware and was witnessed by numerous soldiers and some of the -- the dignitaries that we had visit the installation today. It was truly a moving ceremony.
Tomorrow, we expect Governor Perry and General Cone will conduct a joint press conference in Temple at Scott and White Medical Center at approximately 11:00 -- 11:00 a.m..
The investigation has revealed that it was asked previously whether the suspect's weapons were military issue. They were not. It was confirmed they were privately-owned weapons and purchased locally.
Command priorities remain care for the victims and their families. We continue to focus on casualty assistance efforts, including the formal casualty notification process, which continues, and, as I mentioned, grief counseling, as well, for all those that -- that are involved.
I'd like to offer some -- some praise, again, for the -- for those involved that -- that significantly contributed to -- to saving lives, in many cases.
In the midst of the tragic event, some amazing stories and true heroism. I got to visit the -- some of the soldiers up in the hospital today. And they never continue to amaze us at their -- just at how good they are and how special they are.
As I mentioned earlier, Officer Munley and Sergeant Todd, the first responders, based on their immediate response -- and, again, this is in about a four minute period from 911 notification until the suspect was taken down. Both of them performed superbly and absolutely contributed to the prevention of further -- further injury and blood -- bloodshed.
One of the soldiers in the hospital today, Specialist Amber Bahr, a great young lady, herself wounded, went back, wounded, to pick up a comrade and help that comrade get to safety.
OK, we will never leave a fallen comrade -- part of our soldier creed and truly demonstrated here, even in Fort Hood, not only in -- in combat, but here in -- as well.
From the first responders to soldiers and civilians providing care for the wounded to the medical treatment and emergency personnel, a tremendous team effort, which continues. The individual and team effort has certainly saved lives. Truly supportive and -- and appreciate the superior medical care, not only here locally at our Darnall Hospital, but also at the -- at the other regional hospitals that have been supporting us, as well.
We want to express appreciation to the grateful -- and we are grateful for the tremendous support that has been streaming in -- an outpouring of support from local community members, as well as across the nation. We -- we -- just yesterday on the hotline, we had over 1,000 calls yesterday, whether it was requesting information or offers to provide support at our operations center. It was -- it was -- was working with over 1,000 calls.
Leadership, to include our president, has provided immediate assistance from federal agencies. And other installations have contributed. And we have committed -- and he has committed and others have committed to providing and continuing to provide such great support.
Our community partners reached out to us. We met with them today, local community partners, school district representatives, local leadership, just to give them an update and express our gratitude to them and appreciation to them, and, again, to reiterate that great partnership that we have with our local -- local leaders here, as well. And we were very thankful today to have representatives from our senate and congress come and really come to see our soldiers and tell them how proud they were of our soldiers and our -- and our family members.
As an Army at war, we understand the loss of our fellow soldiers in combat. And we never -- although we never expect it to happen at home station here in Texas, we become -- we've become adept at handling situations like this. Soldiers are -- are used to these kind of activities -- obviously, not expected in this environment, but they -- they are very well versed in handling crisis and taking care of taking care -- taking care of their buddies. We have developed systems and programs to help respond and recover from these tragic events. And even with these unprecedented event -- unprecedented events here, we are prepared and we will get through this as a team. And I will now take a few questions.
QUESTION: Are you aware of any criminal charges against Major Hasan?
ROSSI: Yes.
QUESTION: Is he still hospitalized, Colonel?
ROSSI: Yes.
QUESTION: Can you give us any insight on their condition (INAUDIBLE)
ROSSI: They -- they range from ICU -- I talked to the hospital commander a few minutes ago. He was expecting probably two more to get released today. And about half remain in ICU and others are -- are -- again, are just hospitalized.
QUESTION: Can you confirm how many were injured?
Initially, the Army said 38 injured. We have 34.
ROSSI: I...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: What I said this morning, it was -- we were reporting 31 and 12. One of those wounded died. And it went to 30 and 13, which I reported this morning. Now the eight...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: The eight -- there were eight that were treated and released, that were never hospitalized. There were 30 that were hospitalized. Eight were treated and released, either at the scene or came back into the hospital that night, maybe with a headache or tearing eyes, were released. So that's the total of the 38 wounded.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: And, again, now there's 23.
QUESTION: How many were shot?
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: There's also has been some discussion about friendly fire possibilities.
Have you been able to determine that?
ROSSI: Right now, all indications, from talking to the investigators, are that it's -- it's not a friendly fire incident. The confirmation of that, obviously, will always be after autopsies are performed. But all indications are based on positions of deceased, positions of wounded, positions of the shooter, where our two hero first responders approached the shooter at, the number of rounds fired, the indications feedback today from the investigators were, as we asked how many rounds were fired by the by the -- by the suspect. Indications are over 100 rounds, hence the number of wounded.
With that many rounds fired and in a confined facility where most of the wounded were -- or killed -- were -- were found and where our civilian police engaged them, outdoors, all indications are that this is not a friendly fire incident. And, of course, that will be validated when the investigation is complete.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: We're confident.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: When you were talking about 20 -- 23 wounded, are you including the -- the shooter or is that 23 plus?
ROSSI: That -- that -- that was including.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: Correct.
QUESTION: You mentioned the weapons.
Do you know when they were bought?
You said they were local.
Do you know when?
ROSSI: No, I'm not sure of the date that -- that they were purchased. I do know that there were personally -- personal weapons and not registered on our installation.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: And go back to -- go back to the numbers real quick.
How many shot?
How many sustained gunshot wounds?
ROSSI: The number that I had earlier of the -- obviously, the 13 killed were from gunshots. And then of the other 38, we -- we have a number of approximately 46, I believe, that had gunshot wounds. And this could include a graze that had no injury whatsoever, but there was a -- a round. And that's...
QUESTION: Police Officer Munley, is she expected to be released soon?
ROSSI: I'm not sure -- sure of that.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: I know she's -- she's doing -- she's stable and -- and doing OK. And we're looking forward to her doing better.
QUESTION: Do you know of any charges against Major Hasan at this time?
ROSSI: Not that I'm aware of...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: There still is -- and I'm using the term suspect.
QUESTION: Where all the rounds fired from the FN-57?
ROSSI: I -- I'm not sure of that right now.
QUESTION: Can you talk about Sergeant (INAUDIBLE)?
ROSSI: Correct. That's what I mentioned earlier. There were two -- again, as we -- as the investigation continues, you'll gather more information. And initially it was thought that it was just Sergeant Munley, but senior Sergeant Todd, we've determined, also, appeared at the scene at approximately the same time. Both engaged. Both were engaged by the shooter, is our understanding of it. And it was determined that, as well, that he contributed to taking down the -- the shooter.
QUESTION: Can you give us more of an indication on him, his full name, background, etc.?
ROSSI: Staff Sergeant Mark Todd -- Senior Sergeant Mark Todd, in my understanding, a retired military policeman, Army.
QUESTION: Is there any indication that he was using the armor- piercing bullets that can be used by that gun?
ROSSI: No, I don't know.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: There's no indications.
QUESTION: What was the other gun?
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: More than 100 rounds, you said, were fired?
ROSSI: I'm sorry?
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) said more than 100 rounds, you said were fired.
Was that total responders (INAUDIBLE)?
ROSSI: No, that was -- a question was asked about approximately how many rounds do you think were fired by the suspect because, again, with 40 something wounded and one person or 47 -- between killed and wounded, one person, there had to be a lot of rounds fired. And indications are by the scene that over 100 rounds were...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: By everybody?
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: By everybody?
ROSSI: I'm not sure.
QUESTION: But the coma that...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ...is that drug-induced?
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ...just by everybody or the suspect?
ROSSI: I'm sorry?
QUESTION: Is that a drug-induced coma that he's in?
ROSSI: I'm not sure.
QUESTION: Colonel, just to clarify, you believe the suspect fired (INAUDIBLE)?
ROSSI: Correct.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: What can you tell us about Major Hasan's condition and anything you've learned about him today?
ROSSI: The -- the only thing that I would tell you right now is, again, we -- it was determined between the three medical centers to move him to Brooke Army Medical Center later this afternoon, where they have a -- the necessary ICU capability...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: ...and also to basic -- to get him to the military installation.
QUESTION: How much of it is for his safety and what are you doing that (INAUDIBLE)?
ROSSI: That's part of it. He's a soldier that's a suspect. We -- we're providing medical care for him. And, again, we got him to the military -- it was determined that -- and it's not only him, but generally, when soldiers are eligible to be moved back to a military medical facility from a civilian one, that will generally occur to get them back onto the installation.
QUESTION: Colonel, can you tell us whether Major Hasan was taking any anti-depressants, maybe -- whether he may have prescribed himself any antidepressants?
ROSSI: I do not know.
QUESTION: You don't know?
ROSSI: I do not know.
QUESTION: Colonel, are you saying the suspect fired more than 100 rounds (INAUDIBLE) I'm not a gun expert here, so did he reload?
Did he have that many in his...
ROSSI: Again, there -- this is indications based on shell casings and some other things. I'm not sure of the -- the sequence.
QUESTION: What kind of guns were they?
ROSSI: Again, I will tell you, though, that witnesses still -- keep in mind, 300, approximately, soldiers in that area -- in that complex, about 100 civilians.
First responders showed up. Numerous people in that -- in that area. Witness statements are still being taken and still being processed by the investigative team at this point.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: It's been going continuously.
QUESTION: I'm sorry, is it, sir, clear whether Sergeant Todd or -- or Officer Munley was -- fired the four shots that -- that (INAUDIBLE)...
ROSSI: That's not determined yet. Again, both discharged weapons and it will be determined which ones actually brought him down.
QUESTION: Sergeant Todd's not military?
ROSSI: No. Civilian police.
QUESTION: You usually have special counseling that's in place for people who return from combat.
What kind of counseling is there for the counselors? ROSSI: We have, I guess, you know, a counselor, whether it's a soldier or a civilian, the available assets that -- that are in place for behavioral health and mental health are available to those, as well, you know, specifically, M.D.s, leaders, commanders -- not just for -- for young soldiers. A lot of time the focus may be on the young troops. But leaders, as well experience stress. Professionals experience stress. All of the resources that are brought to bear to include those that we have asked to come in to -- to assist us, are available. And we have put great effort here, across the installation, across the Army, in -- in recent years to enabling and allowing for these type of assistance to be provided to anyone who would need it...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSSI: ...ask for it, it was determined that it should be...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Had the major had counseling?
ROSSI: I do not know.
QUESTION: Is it policy -- is it requisite for someone in his position to -- to seek that out or to talk every so often?
ROSSI: I'm not aware of that.
QUESTION: Will any outgoing deployments be delayed?
ROSSI: I'm sorry?
QUESTION: Any upcoming deployments been delayed?
ROSSI: Not -- not that I'm aware of.
QUESTION: Is there -- besides the 11:00 a.m. Briefing at Scott and White, are you planning to do briefings or elsewhere?
ROSSI: Correct. We're going to -- we intend to do another follow-up with you here tomorrow night at 17:00.
QUESTION: Colonel, for people who may be joining us late, can you just update us on Major Hasan's condition and his location?
ROSSI: His location is Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He was moved there this after at approximately 3:00 p.m. and his commission -- condition remains the same.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Is he in a coma?
ROSSI: I -- I don't know exactly. But he has moved to Brooke and he was intubated and not able to -- to converse. And we will get a -- a further update from them... (CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: You say the family has been notified?
ROSSI: Not yet.
QUESTION: On the counselors, sir...
ROSSI: No. And again, we are -- we -- I'll highlight that this is a -- a distinct process of family notification. You understand the importance of this, to make sure they're notified properly. We are working this. It's -- and we're doing our best to get them notified. And we want to make sure that that's done right. So please, please allow this to happen and -- and respect their privacy.
QUESTION: What was the departure ceremony like?
ROSSI: The Ramp Ceremony was probably about 300 soldiers lined up. The back of a C-17 was opened up. We had, again, our dignitaries that visited us today. They were with us. And we even had a soldier who was wounded yesterday, who insisted upon seeing that, seeing his comrades depart here, and go to Dover, as he sat there in a chair, in a -- with a bandage on his leg.
It's a very dignified process, where they have soldiers dressed in their class a uniforms, will transport one casket at a time, while we all render a salute. And the casket will move one at a time up into the aircraft, and get loaded slowly and meticulously. And then the aircraft will close, and it will move up to Dover.
And this is -- this is so important that we do this with dignity, and that's -- that's -- I think we -- I'm certain we did that right today. We're very proud of that and very proud of the soldiers that participated in that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were any of the escorts there in the building, any of the people that chose to go to Dover, to escort the caskets -- were any of them there for the shooting?
ROSSI: I'm not aware of that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, on the counselors, what are they reporting back to you on the needs and how to address it? What are the troops saying?
ROSSI: Well, good question. We had the units -- what we have the units doing is we ask the units to ID those that they have either asked for help or they -- commanders will do this -- these are the folks we want to focus on. They were at the scene. They were witnesses. And we think they may need some help. And they're coming back to us and asking us to get some of these life counselors, grievance counselors and experts down there to talk with them, and discuss with them what happened.
And then we will, again, continue to apply this as needed to help those that have gone through this experience. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you hearing from them? What are you hearing from the people who are asking for the help?
ROSSI: Right now we're -- none from the individuals. We're just talking to the commanders right now. And we're just beginning to apply this process for them. It is being used, I'll tell you that. The counselors are being asked for, because we know that there's success involved in this. I'll take one more question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of weapon did Hasan use?
ROSSI: I'm sorry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What have you asked your commanders to tell soldiers, whether or not they need help, about how to go forward?
ROSSI: In this case -- and this is not just for this incident, but this is just tied to what you've seen recently, is that we're very focused on taking away any kind of stigma associated with soldiers coming forward. Soldiers or leaders coming forward and saying, I need some help, OK? I'm not right. I want to get fixed. It's important to me. And, please, provide me some help.
There's nothing wrong with that, and that's the message we get out to the soldiers, is it's OK for you to come forward, and we're going to bring to bear everything we have to make you get better. Whether it's a knee injury, an ankle injury, or there's some kind of PTSD issue, something that's keeping you from functioning the way we need you to function, it's OK to come forward.
That's the message we apply to them. We are proud and we try to highlight when they do come forward, and make it so there is no stigma associated with it.
So thank you very much, and we'll see you at 1700 tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, colonel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
KING: We're back with LARRY KING LIVE. You heard that press conference. CNN's Brian Todd joins us now from the Silver Spring Islamic Center. Dr. Hasan used to regularly attend prayers there. What have you learned about him from being at that vantage point, Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Larry, what people say here is that they're just incredibly shocked by this occurrence. This is not the same person they say they knew. We spoke to the imam at this mosque. We spoke to a member of the board of directors. We spoke to a doctor who had struck up an acquaintance with Nidal Hasan.
And all of them said that this was not a man how kind of stuck out here in any particular way. He did not make waves around here. He volunteered to -- for reviews of charitable applications at this place. Otherwise, he really did not stand out. He prayed here. He struck up passing acquaintances. And then he would basically go on his way.
A doctor who did strike up an acquaintance with him told us that they shared a common experience of having trained at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This doctor said he was a very benign, kind of easy going guy, always pleasant to chat with. Not overly zealous in his religious bent.
And they all just say he was a very kind amicable fellow. One personal story, the only really personal window that he opened up here was that we're told he approached a former imam of this mosque and asked him for his help in finding a suitable wife. That was an effort that was ultimately not successful. But that about as deeply personal as Nidal Hasan got at this mosque.
KING: Thanks, Brian. Excellent reporting. Brian Todd on the scene there. James Munoz is a reporter for KENS an affiliate in San Antonio, Texas. He joins us from outside the Brook Army Medical Center, where Major Hasan was transported a few hours ago. The press conference detailed a lot. What is the security like there, James?
JAMES MUNOZ, KENS-TV REPORTER: Well, Larry, good evening. The security here is tight, we understand. A number of health care workers are around Major Hasan. And you can bet plenty of law enforcement officers are around the Army psychologist.
He was flown in here by helicopter around 3:00 this afternoon. Our news station learned of the event 45 minutes after that. And so we are pressing the military tonight for photos or video of this event. We asked why we weren't notified for this transfer of a -- one of the most hated men in America perhaps right now.
We may get that answer tomorrow, just as we got the answer tonight about why the families have not been notified. That's certainly understandable. Why we don't have an official list of the names.
So right now, we know Hasan is here in stable condition. He is in the intensive care unit. This is a level one trauma center, probably the number two Army hospital in the country, and the number one highest-level Army hospital in our region.
He also might have been brought to this area just for the higher level of care, but also because the San Antonio FBI headquarters is overseeing this case.
KING: Thanks, James. Excellent reporting as well. James Munoz of KENS of San Antonio. We'll be right back with more of LARRY KING LIVE after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Before we get to a major panel, we now go to Specialist Francisco Delaserna. He's a medic who treated many of the wounded, including the police officer who shot the alleged gunman. What -- was she able to say anything to you, Francisco?
SPEC. FRANCISCO DELASERNA, US ARMY: No, she wasn't. She was fading in and out of consciousness the whole time.
KING: What did you do when you got there? How did you get her -- did you get her to an ambulance? What did you do?
DELASERNA: When I first arrived on scene, there were about three other people helping her out. There were a couple people trying to make a makeshift tourniquet out of a belt. But it wasn't stopping the bleeding. So I pulled out my medical bag, brought out a tourniquet, cut her pant leg open, saw where the wound was.
There was a lot of blood coming out. I was just trying to get a -- get the tourniquet around there. And I got the blood stopped, the blood flow stopped. Handed one of the guys there an IV kit. Had him get an IV started. And we got her out of there on an ambulance as fast as we could.
KING: That's what great medics do. Thank you, Francisco.
Now let's meet a quick panel. In Ft. Worth, Texas, is Danny Coulson, the former deputy assistant director of the FBI, former head of their hostage rescue team. Dr. Thomas Grieger's in Cumberland, Maryland. Dr. Grieger is a retired U.S. Navy captain, clinical and forensic psychiatrist, and director of psychiatric training at the Walter Reed Hospital where Dr. Nidal Hasan was an intern. And here in Los Angeles, Dr. Daniel Amen, retired US Army major, militarily trained psychologist, and author of "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life."
Danny, when does the FBI get in on this?
DANNY COULSON, FMR. FBI DEP. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Immediately. They have jurisdiction. It's a crime on a government reservation. FBI was there. They have a presence on that base full time. And I'm sure they were there within minutes of the time the incident started.
KING: And they'll be right at the hospital when the suspect is available to talk?
COULSON: Yes, sir, they will be. Also, I'm sure the United States Marshals are involved. They generally take custody of prisoners in situations like this, as well as the military.
Larry, this is a joint investigation between the military and the FBI. They're working hand in hand. It's important that they exchange information, conduct the investigation together, and they have a great relationship down there.
The San Antonio field division is in charge of it. And they are exchanging information as we speak, and conducting an investigation, organizing it together. It's important to know what the motive was here. And I think we probably know that. And how to prevent this in the future, and also to improve their response capability, which, by the way, sounded like it was pretty good. KING: Yes. Dr. Grieger, you directed psychiatric training at Walter Reed. And Dr. Hasan was an intern. What do you remember about him?
DR. THOMAS GRIEGER, US NAVY (RET): Well, yes, Larry. Good evening. First of all, I retired from the military in October of 2007, so that was a past career. He was an intern in our program. And my recollections were that he was a quiet individual, pretty much stayed to himself. There were certainly no aggressive or threatening behaviors that would serve as precursors for the sort of violence that we saw yesterday.
KING: Would you say he was a capable intern?
GRIEGER: I think also -- well, you know -- you know, interns at times have a need for additional supervision. And, you know, we -- we implemented that supervision. And Dr. Hasan responded to that. And it's not uncommon that 10 to 20 percent of interns, in any given year, need a little bit of extra supervision. So we were not surprised by that. And we certainly responded to that in the training program. And he did quite well with the extra supervision he received.
KING: Dr. Amen, you've written a book called "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life." And naturally, you have not treated Dr. Hasan. What do you make of this?
DR. DANIEL AMEN, US ARMY (RET): Well, I think he was probably depressed, had no options, and was going to kill himself. And as so many of the mass murderers we've seen do, they have somebody else kill them, in a suicidal gesture. We've scanned hundreds of convicted, violent people, including several mass murders. And what we see is they have a very different brain than normal people.
If you remember the Texas Tower shooter, he actually had a tumor in one of his temporal lobes, an area that we know is involved in violence. So there's a lot to learn. But when you add up, like, the stress he was under, his psychological makeup, and probably he had no options. And when you're a psychiatrist in the military -- I was a psychiatrist and you're a major. It's, like, who do you go to for help, because the person you may go to also rates you.
KING: Quickly, doctor, why do you kill others?
AMEN: Oh, no. It's crazy. It's clearly crazy. He bought into the terrorist ideology. But I would bet it's from a deranged brain, a deranged mind.
KING: Got a lot to learn. Thank you. We'll be back with more on LARRY KING LIVE. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: On the phone with us now is Leila Willingham. Her younger brother, Specialist Jason Hunt, was killed yesterday at Ft. Hood. Our condolences, Leila.
LEILA WILLINGHAM, BROTHER KILLED AT FT. HOOD: Thank you.
KING: When did you learn Jason had been killed?
WILLINGHAM: At midnight last night. I was on the phone with my mom. We were trying to get information, and two uniformed officers showed up at her door while I was talking with her on the phone.
KING: He was just 22, is that right?
WILLINGHAM: Yes, sir.
KING: Graduated Tipton High School, Oklahoma, just got married.
WILLINGHAM: He did, yes.
KING: Why did he join the Army?
WILLINGHAM: He explored some different options. But ultimately I think it was because he wanted to do something where he was serving people. And he really enjoyed being in the Army and being with the -- with his fellow soldiers. He really found a camaraderie there and just a real pride. He was just so proud to serve his country.
KING: And he was in Iraq and was going to go back, right?
WILLINGHAM: He was. He was part of a rear detachment unit. His unit right now is in Iraq. And he was deploying in about 30 days to go bring them home, his unit.
KING: Do you know, Leila, you can expect someone who goes in the Army, goes to Iraq, OK, you're hardened for the worst. But you certainly never expect him to die at his base, right? Never.
WILLINGHAM: Right. Being part of a military family, you do have to consider that, and you have to think about it. But I think if you thought about it every single day, until it happened to you, you can't imagine -- you can't -- you can't even explain how it feels. And I just want to say that, you know, because it didn't happen overseas or it didn't happen in a combat situation doesn't make him any less a hero, because my brother was the kind of person to jump in front of a bullet for somebody. And I really feel like, you know, I don't know the details, but I know my brother, and I know he was -- he was very brave in this situation.
KING: Thank you, Leila. I know how hard this was. Thank you.
WILLINGHAM: Thank you.
KING: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
KING: Joining us now is retired US Army General Barry McCaffrey. General McCaffrey served as commander in chief of the US Southern Command, was special assistant to Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell. And we should mention he's also a member of the Dyna Corp International Board of Directors.
Here in Los Angeles, we're joined by retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clarke. General Clark is a NATO Supreme Allied commander, senior fellow at UCLA's Center for International Relations.
Your first reaction to this, General Clark? Aside from shock?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, US ARMY (RET): Well, it's just a terrible tragedy. And you ask yourself how could we have missed the warning signs of this?
KING: There were warning signs?
CLARK: There had to have been warning signs. Somebody would've seen something. There would have been something unusual. Some inability to relate. Something has to have been there to have -- that the chain of command must be asking themselves right now.
KING: General McCaffrey, do you agree with that?
GENERAL BARRY MCCAFFREY, US ARMY (RET): Well, certainly the facts that are coming out -- I'm reading AP wires and CNN.com, that sort of thing -- seem to indicate clearly this fellow was starting off track badly. And there were some religious overtones to it. The Army's going to be very circumspect, Larry. They're not going to want to contaminate a criminal investigation and they're not going to want to cast doubt on the thousands -- 3,500 plus Muslim troops serving in uniform.
But I think Wes is right. This looks like the hard questions are going to be need to be asked.
KING: Now, how will commanders at bases and in other areas around the world deal with their Muslim officers and men?
CLARK: That's the next big question. What would it take for you to feel comfortable now? For most of these men, they're in a very cohesive unit. They know each other. They know the families. They know these soldiers very well. They live with them 24 hours a day. They know them off duty and on duty.
The medical profession's a little bit different, because the doctors are more professional. The command is less close knit. They're treated more as individual specialists.
So it's not surprising, if it was going to happen somewhere, it would happen here. But my guess is that, up and down the chain of command, people are asking all those questions. They're reassuring their soldiers of Muslim faith that you're a part of our team; we love you, you're part of us. And they're looking for the bond to be reciprocated.
KING: And are they also, General McCaffrey, worried about some soldiers taking action against Muslim soldiers? MCCAFFREY: Probably not. Larry, you go to a place like Ft. Hood, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, these are incredibly safe environments, perimeter security, disciplined units, lots of families on post.
The Army and Marine Corps, in particular, have been under tremendous stress for eight plus years now. They know and love and trust each other. So I think this is a kick in the gut, as General George Casey said, our Army chief today. But 43,000 killed and wounded, this is a combat hardened force already.
KING: General Clark, does the general at Hood feel any guilt?
CLARK: Well, I think he's certainly going to be concerned. And I think, you know, he's going to be asking himself did he do everything he could've done? And all of the chain of command will have to ask themselves these questions.
I don't know if guilt's the right word, because it may be that there was nothing he could've done. And he may have talked this same issue.
But I know in the circumstances where I've had fatal accidents and other injuries like that to the troops, you always carry a measure of that burden on yourself. No matter what.
KING: Have you had that, General McCaffrey, lose men under you in circumstances not related to war?
MCCAFFREY: Oh, yes. You know, this is also a dangerous profession they're in. Just the training environment is ferociously aggressive. Night operations using live ammunition. So this is a very complex business to acquire.
But by the way, Lieutenant General Bob Cone, the corps commander, is one of the most remarkably talented, determined and dedicated officers I have run into. So just out of combat in Afghanistan a year ago. So I think, look, you got 55,000 soldiers, a community of 100,000 people.
This is a problem, but it certainly isn't at General Cone's level. What we've got to ask, though, is -- we educate this guy for six years. Who knew what about him? And did they put it all together? Did the FBI really investigate Jihadist kinds of comments on the Internet? Was he really having patients shunted away from him by other officers? Those are the questions that have to get asked.
KING: Some remaining moments when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Usually in these circumstances when the -- when the suspect dies, we don't learn anything. It's kind of reverse, but we're lucky he's alive.
CLARK: We are. We're going to learn a lot from this guy, if we can keep him alive and if he'll talk. And as one of your previous guests said, it's physical. It's psychological. It's spiritual. It's social. We're going to learn a lot from this.
And we're probably just scratching the surface of the enormous conflict that must be present in so many people in this country and around the world.
KING: General McCaffrey, we only have about 30 seconds. We must assume there's other Hasans around, right?
MCCAFFREY: Certainly not in the armed forces. I mean, 3,500 Muslim troops -- clearly we have problems. It's 2.4 million men and women in the Department of Defense. There's some one percent or whatever it is that are unstable or criminal. But this is the one off data point. This is the worst tragedy that's hit the peace time Army ever, domestic base.
So there may not be a lot to learn from it, to be blunt. This is a tragedy without much rationale.
KING: Thank you both, very much. Two outstanding servants of this country, Generals McCaffrey and Wesley Clark. This has been another special edition of LARRY KING LIVE. Anderson Cooper has lots ahead on "AC 360." Anderson?
