Hearing for Fort Hood shooting suspect to wrap up

[November 15, 2010]  FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- After a three-week hiatus, a hearing to determine whether an Army psychiatrist should stand trial in the worst mass shooting on a U.S. military base is set to resume and likely wrap up Monday.

More than two dozen soldiers wounded in last year's shooting rampage at Fort Hood were among those who testified in October, describing in chilling detail the attack that killed 12 soldiers and one civilian. Then the hearing was delayed, in part because the defense didn't want it going on during the anniversary of the Nov. 5, 2009, rampage.

Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in their deaths, along with 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

The hearing was expected to wrap up Monday because lead defense attorney John Galligan has said he doesn't plan to present any evidence. Military law experts say it's not unusual for defense attorneys to forgo presenting evidence at Article 32 hearings, which are held to determine whether charges should move forward in military court.

Fort Hood's commanding general will decide whether Hasan should be court-martialed after receiving recommendations from the investigating officer in the case and a brigade commander. It's unclear when that decision will be made.

Army officials have not said whether they will seek the death penalty if the case goes to trial.

Hasan was paralyzed from the chest down after being shot that day by police and has been attending the hearing in a wheelchair. He remains jailed, as the military justice system does not have bail.

Dozens of witnesses testified that a gunman wearing an Army combat uniform shouted "Allahu Akbar!" -- Arabic for "God is great!" -- and opened fire in a crowded medical building where deploying soldiers get vaccines and other tests. He fired rapidly, pausing only to reload, even shooting at some soldiers as they hid under desks and fled the building, according to witnesses.

When it was over, investigators found 146 shell casings on the floor, another 68 outside the building and 177 unused rounds of ammunition in the gunman's pockets.

Authorities and several witnesses identified the gunman as Hasan, an American-born Muslim who was to deploy to Afghanistan the following month.

Before the rampage, Hasan bought a laser-equipped semiautomatic handgun and repeatedly visited a firing range, where he honed his skills by shooting at the heads on silhouette targets, other witnesses said.

Along with testimony, the prosecution presented recordings of 911 calls from three frantic people inside the building, footage that Hasan recorded on his cell phone showing a gun store manager demonstrate how to use a gun, and brief dashboard-camera videos from two officers' patrol cars as they sped to the scene, parked and ran out. Those videos do not show the gunman.

[Associated Press; By ANGELA K. BROWN]

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