Statesville soldier stationed at Fort Hood copes with tragedy

By: Bethany Fuller | Mooresville Tribune
Published: November 08, 2009

Army Specialist Joann Thompson didn't know why Fort Hood was being locked down Thursday until she was safely inside.

"We knew it was something serious," said Thompson, who lived in Statesville for 12 years before enlisting in the Army in 2006.

A day earlier, Thompson, 38, had been in the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where an Army major opened fire Thursday, killing 13 and wounding 29. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is now hospitalized under guard, is suspected in the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

Without access to a television, Thompson and other soldiers looked outside to see what happened next and listened to the radio for updates.

The tension could be felt in the room, Thompson said. They were on their cell phones trying to find out details about the shooting and concerned for the welfare of their spouses and children.

Thompson and 200 to 300 other soldiers went through post-deployment exams and procedures in the center on Wednesday.

"It's pretty busy in there," Thompson said. "You have hundreds of soldiers coming in."

Thompson's mother, Marilyn Herring, said a friend called her when she got back to her house on Thursday and told her to turn on the TV.

After learning what happened, Herring, who still lives in Statesville, said she was "very anxious to hear something" from her daughter.

"I had a lot of support from church and friends."

She was happy when her daughter was able to call and tell her that she was OK.

Thompson said she didn't know any of the soldiers who were killed personally.

"These are my sisters and brothers in arms," she said. "I just wanted to give my heartfelt sympathy to anyone dealing with this right now. It was a sad day. It was sad that they are going to a place to support their country and they lost their lives."

The security level on and around Fort Hood has been increased. Soldiers are carrying guns at the gatehouses and several Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and military police are investigating the incident, Thompson said.

The realization that the suspected shooter was a military officer trained to help his fellow soldiers makes the ordeal more difficult to understand, she said.

"We look up to officers who are above us," she said.