Reports of an active shooter in Fort Hood circulated all over social media this morning. However, these were thankfully only rumors. The troubled base has seen an alarming number of deaths over the last few years. As a result, a wave of worried friends, and family, took to social media to see if their loved ones were safe.Social media pages, and individual accounts aided in the panic. Soldiers, and civilians posted online that they were sheltering in place.Tom Rheinlander, director of public affairs at Fort Hood said, “Rumors of an active shooter on Fort Hood are false; no shots were fired."He went on to say a soldier “made homicidal threats toward his leadership and is currently in custody by Fort Hood law enforcement officers.”The Army has not identified the suspect, or their unit. Furthermore, we do not know how the threats were made, or what caused them, and little new information has been released since the arrest. Although, the Fort Hood Twitter account did echo the earlier release. The statement assured the public the situation had concluded. However, readers criticized the base with their replies. Many Twitter users expressed their anger and frustration.
School Lock Down
The rumors caused a nearby elementary school to go into full lockdown. Subsequently, officials said they took these actions “out of an abundance of caution.”The Killeen Independent School District released the below statement:[caption id="attachment_22907" align="alignnone" width="300"]
@KilleenISD_[/caption]In Waco, TX, local news reported that a malfunctioning alarm added an element of extra distress to the rumors. Likewise, Army officials, said this was an unfortunate coincidence.
What will be next?
Will Fort Hood ever go back to normal? What will it take for sweeping reform? Sound off in the comments below!Also, send any news tips or leads to us at Dan.Sharp@gruntstyle.com. We want to get the news from the source. Stay tuned to American Grit for more news, opinions, and stories!