OT: Prayers for Fort Hood Soldiers and their families

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http://abcnews.go.com/WN/soldiers-kille ... id=9007938

Twelve people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting spree at a Texas military base in a murderous rampage that officials believe was carried out by an Army officer.

The suspected gunman was identified by ABC News as Major Malik Nadal Hasan.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, told Fox News that military sources informed her that the gunman was about to be deployed to Iraq.

The shooter was killed and two other suspects, who are also soldiers, have been apprehended, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone said.

Hasan allegedly opened fire and killed 11 people on the base before he was shot, bringing the total number of fatalities to 12.

The general said there were "eyewitness accounts of more than one shooter," and the others were tracked to an adjacent facility.

Cone called the attack "a terrible tragedy, stunning." He said the community was "absolutely devastated."

The Senate and the House of Representatives held a moment of silence this evening for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry ordered flags be flown at half mast until Sunday.

Cone said the motive for the attack, which took place just after 1:30 p.m. CT, is unclear.

Fort Hood, located just 60 miles north from Austin, is the largest U.S. military installation in the world, and has suffered the greatest number of casualities of all American bases in the war on Iraq.

The base is a 340 sq. mile facility located in Killeen, Texas and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division, which was one of the first groups of soldiers deployed to Iraq.

Cone said that a gunman entered a facility known as the Soldier Readiness Facility, where soldiers who are preparing to deploy go for last minute medical check ups and dental treatment. Sources told ABC News that the soldiers gathered there were getting ready to deploy to Iraq.

The gunman used two handguns, Cone said. He wasn't sure if the shooter reloaded the weapons during the attack.

"The gunman opened fire and essentially due to the quick respond of the police forces was killed," said Cone.

The shooter was killed by civilian law enforcement and one police officer died in the shootout, Cone said.

The gunman's suspected accomplices were taken into custody in an adjacent facility known as the old SportsDome Complex.