Calling it a “terrible tragedy,” Fort Hood post commander Army Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said officials “believe ... a single shooter” was responsible for the Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, early afternoon shooting incident on base at Fort Hood. The Army base is located in central Texas between small communities of Copperas Cove and Killeen.
Military authorities and FBI are still conducting a criminal investigation, but news media are reporting 13 fatalities. The incident brought back memories of the 1991 mass shooting at the Killeen Luby’s in which 23 people were killed. Fort Hood is the Army’s largest base. Troops from the base have been staged to Iraq three times since 2003.
This community was also affected by storms in 2007, which included tornadoes and flooding. First Presbyterian Church of Killeen suffered a dislodging of the steeple, resulting in water in the church. This is the church’s second building; the original was destroyed by fire. The church has an ongoing deaf ministry through Rosalee Cunningham, returning clerk of session.
PDA Response
Presbytery leadership at Mission Presbytery has been in conversation with pastors of Presbyterian congregations in the area. PDA National Response Team member (NRT) Harvey Howell is providing assistance to the presbytery.
Presbytery leadership at Grace Presbytery is also in conversation with PDA and is communicating with Presbyterian pastors in the Fort Hood surrounding communities.
Grace Presbytery has requested PDA assistance in the form of a Disaster Crisis Team. Three members of the PDA National Response Team (NRT) - Rick Turner, Tim Stover and Laurie Kraus - have been deployed to provide this assistance.
A retired chaplain who works at a church in Grace Presbytery will also be assisting in the response.
Community Response
Military Chaplain Corps has the on-base response well coordinated. They have expressed concern for the civilian support/surrounding communities, where prayer meetings were ongoing during the evening.
Medical supports from San Antonio’s Brooke Army Medical Center and hospitalization of shooting victims at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple has drawn the entire central Texas area into the response.
Preliminary Assessment of Need
- Spiritual and emotional care for responders, congregations, pastors and community.
- Ongoing emotional assistance: News Reports indicate Post commander Cone has only recently replaced Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch and has inherited a “plethora of problems” including the Army’s highest number of suicides — 75 since 2003, 14 last year. “The problems were so serious that Lynch, who now heads the Installation Management Command, launched a series of initiatives designed to combat soldier and family stress.” (San Antonio Express-News)
- Communication between military chaplain teams and FBO (faith- based organizations).
- Via pre-established San Antonio Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster (SAVOAD) relationship, PDA and the Command Chaplain for U.S. Army North (USARNORTH) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, have shared the concern for the communities of Copperas Cove and Killeen.
Please lift up in prayer the Fort Hood community and surrounding communities. Also lift up in prayer members of the U.S. Armed Forces — those actively serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Information provided by report from NRT member Elder Harvey H. Howell |
