WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Hasan was bound for Afghanistan; Classmate says he was an outspoken opponent of the U.S. war on terror

Hasan was bound for Afghanistan; Classmate says he was an outspoken opponent of the U.S. war on terror

It's still unclear what caused a soldier to allegedly open fire on his comrades at Fort Hood.

Authorities say Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a shooting spree Thursday at the Texas Army post, leaving 13 dead and 30 wounded. Those caught in the gunfire say Hasan was calm and methodical as he shot at fellow soldiers. Some say he shouted "Allahu Akbar!" - an Arabic phrase for "God is great" before opening fire.

A civilian police officer, Sgt. Kimberly Munley, shot Hasan in the upper torso, allowing officers to take him into custody. During the exchange of gunfire, Munley was shot in the thighs and wrist.

Army spokeswoman Col. Cathy Abbott says Hasan, an active-duty military psychiatrist, had been scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan to counsel soldiers suffering from combat stress.  He was going with an Army Reserve unit that provides what the military calls "behavioral health" counseling. It wasn't immediately clear whether Hasan sought the assignment or was being sent against his wishes.

A classmate of the shooting suspect says Hasan was an outspoken opponent of the U.S. war on terror and called it a "war against Islam." Dr. Val Finnell was a classmate of Hasan's at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Both attended a master's in public health program in 2007 and 2008.

Finnell says he got to know Hasan in an environmental health class. At the end of the class, students gave presentations. Finnell says other classmates wrote on subjects such as dry cleaning chemicals and mold in homes, but Hasan's topic was whether the war against terror was "a war against Islam." Finnell described Hasan as a "vociferous opponent" of the terror war. Finnell says Hasan told classmates he was "a Muslim first and an American second."

Hasan moved to Texas this past summer after working six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. His training director says he had some difficulties that required counseling and extra supervision. But a former Imam at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Hasan prayed for years, says he didn't seem disgruntled.

On Friday, police removed a dumpster outside Hasan's apartment. They also seized his computer as they search for clues about possible motives. Neighbors at his apartment complex near Fort Hood say he seemed normal.

Hasan told neighbors he was going to be deployed and gave away some of his belongings: a couple chairs, a bookshelf, and some clothing. The manager of the apartment complex says Hasan prepaid his $350 rent through January. He also says a fellow soldier keyed Hasan's car recently and ripped off a religious bumper sticker that said "Alllah is Love."

The manager described the 39 year old as a quiet, deeply religious Muslim man.  Authorities say Hasan remains in a coma but is expected to live.

A federal law enforcement official said investigators have not been able to talk to Hasan since the shootings. 

Hasan's family released a statement Friday calling his actions despicable and deplorable.

The Associated Press and CBS contributed to this report.

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