Sgt. Edward “Doc” Wittig, an Army recruiter in Eau Claire, hung his head while discussing the recent shooting at Fort Hood U.S. Army base in Texas.
“It’s one thing to kill to defend the person next to you,” Wittig said, “but what he (the shooter) did . that’s just not right,”
The Nov. 5 shooting has caused mixed reaction in Eau Claire.
On Saturday, the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office issued a press release identifying the causalities of the shooting. Thirteen died, 30 were wounded.
Two casualties listed are from Wisconsin: Capt. Russell Seagaer, 51, of Racine, and Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel. Both were assigned to the 467th Medical Company of Madison. Spc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul is listed among the casualties as well.
The Fort Hood Public Affairs Office identified the alleged shooter as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist on the base.
Wittig, who has been deployed twice and works as a medic, is somewhat familiar with the Army’s counseling services, and has been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Somebody should have seen the warning signs (of a possible violent act),” he said.
Junior Ben Bejin said he feels that the signs were seen, but not reported.
“There appears to have been warning signs,” he said, “that alludes to that there may have been people who felt like if they were to say something they would have been labeled as anti-Islamic.”
Wittig said he was concerned about the way the media handled the event, saying he felt the fact that Hasan is a Muslim has been sensationalized and he is more disturbed by the fact that Hasan worked as a psychiatrist.
Bejin said he believes that the fact that Hasan is Muslim is relevant and has been danced around by many news outlets.
“He (Hasan) is the one that got up on the table and said ‘Allahu Akbar’,” Bejin said. (Several personal accounts of the shooting report the shout of “Allahu Akbar” ? Arabic for “God is greatest.”)
The Fort Hood Public Affairs Office said in a press release that Hasan, who is in custody, had two handguns and was shot by emergency personnel. The officer who shot Hasan was injured at the scene and is now recovering.
An investigation into the shooting by the Army and the FBI is currently underway, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office.