Massacre shocks those who worshipped alongside accused shooter

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The U.S. army psychiatrist suspected in the shooting rampage at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas, was described Friday as a quiet and friendly man who was devoted to Islam but never shared his views on religion, war or politics with fellow Muslims at daily prayers.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, worshipped at a Muslim community centre in this Washington suburb for several years while stationed at the nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he worked as a post-traumatic stress counsellor.

"Anybody who saw him, liked him," Dr. Asif Qadri, a cardiologist who runs a medical clinic at the Muslim Community Centre in Silver Spring, told Canwest News Service on Friday.

"He never talked religion, at least not with me. He never talked politics, war or anything else," Qadri said. "He was very proud to be in the army."

Akhtar Khan, an artist, said Hasan would sometimes offer other worshippers a ride to a nearby bus or subway stop following prayers.

"I was surprised. What happened that this man who used to be a very quiet person, who always had a smile?" Khan, who knew Hasan for about two years, said after attending Friday morning prayers.

"If somebody wanted to talk to him, he would always talk to the person. He was a simple, ordinary person."

Military investigators are still searching for motives in the Fort Hood massacre, which left 13 dead and wounded 30. Hasan was unconscious Friday but in stable condition after being shot four times by a Fort Hood police officer.

"We don't know all the answers yet," President Barack Obama said Friday at the White House. "And I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts."

According to relatives, Hasan had been mortified over a scheduled deployment to Afghanistan because of the horror stories he heard about the conflict from returning soldiers.

Nader Hasan, a cousin of the suspected shooter, said in a statement Friday that family members were "shocked and saddened" by the killing spree and offered sympathy to families of the victims.

"Our family loves America. We are proud of our country," Nader Hasan said.

Among the questions facing investigators is whether the Fort Hood shootings were religiously or politically motivated. Hasan had complained of being harassed by others in the military over his religion.

Lt.-Gen. Robert Cone, a Fort Hood commander, said Friday there were unconfirmed reports the gunman shouted "Allahu akbar" — meaning "God is Great" — before opening fire.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation also was reportedly investigating Internet postings by a man identifying himself as Nidal Hasan, that defended suicide bombings.

"If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory," the posting reads.

But acquaintances at this Muslim community centre, in a semi-rural Maryland suburb, said they had no hint that Hasan might have held radical views.

"He was a face in the crowd," said Arshad Qureshi, chairman of the community centre, which operates a medical clinic and provides education in Islam to local Muslim children.

"There are literally thousands of people who come here to pray, and he was just one of them."

Qadri, who served with U.S. army reserve during the first Gulf War, knew Hasan better. He said the two men shared an admiration for the work done at Walter Reed hospital to aid wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Qadri said he once asked Hasan whether he wanted to volunteer at the community centre's medical clinic. Hasan told him he could not volunteer because of his army responsibilities.

"When I saw his picture (on television), it was unbelievable. The person I know is a well-balanced, very intelligent, calm and quiet person. He doesn't talk cheaply," said Qadri.

"He is not an isolated type of person. He was jovial. He was like anybody else. You could never get a feeling that he was isolated, or that something is wrong at all."

The community centre's phones have been ringing off the hook since Hasan was first identified as the Fort Hood shooter.

"It is really mind-boggling. How well do you know anybody?" Qadri said.

"He would never offer his views to anybody. This is such a place where we do not encourage political or religious discussions openly."

The 33-year-old community centre has about 250 paid members and about 1,000 people typically attend Friday prayers.

A poster on one of the centre's entrances advertises an upcoming fundraising dinner centred on the theme, "Evolving from Being Muslims in America to American Muslims."

A newspaper clipping posted on a bulletin board inside carries the headline, "Islam Goes to Bat For America."

Faizul Khan, a former imam at the centre, told the Washington Post that Hasan attended prayers once a day, seven days a week.

He said Hasan stood out because he often attended prayers in his army fatigues. Hasan, who was single, sometimes inquired "if there were any suitable girls to marry," Khan told the Washington Post.

Qureshi said that while he is concerned about a backlash against local Muslims, the centre has not received any threats or asked for extra security from police. He said he condemns the shooting, but is not jumping to conclusions about what triggered the slaughter.

Any time religion is used to justify violence "is a distressing situation," Qureshi said.

"We don't know what motivated him."

Hasan was born and raised in Virginia and had lived recently in Kensington, Md. He is the son of Middle Eastern immigrants from a Palestinian town and joined the army against his parents' wishes, the New York Times reported.

He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1997 and earned a doctorate in psychiatry from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

He had served as an intern, resident and fellow at Walter Reed hospital since 2003. He also studied traumatic stress at a military medical school in Bethesda.