Fort Worth soldier was hero in Fort Hood shooting rampage

By DAVE MONTGOMERY

dmontgomery@star-telegram.com

FORT HOOD — Pfc. Marquest Smith, a former Fort Worth resident who joined the Army just over a year ago, was in a small cubicle inside the Soldier Readiness Center when he heard popping sounds. A bullet tore through the cubicle wall and lodged in the heel of his boot.

Within 15 minutes, the 21-year-old soldier was rushing through the chaos in the huge processing center to pull four wounded victims to safety and help take them to the hospital. The gunman fired toward him from across the room as Smith was fleeing the building.

Other tales of heroism spread throughout this grief-stricken base Friday as it struggled with the aftermath of the worst attack ever at a U.S. military installation. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, who arrived at Fort Hood with new Army Secretary John McHugh, called it "a kick in the gut."

Army installations across the globe observed a moment of silence at 1:35 p.m. Hours later, hundreds of soldiers and civilians who make up the Fort Hood family held a candlelight vigil for the 13 killed and 38 wounded in Thursday’s rampage.

Eight of the wounded were treated and released, and of the 30 originally hospitalized, 23 — including the alleged gunman — remained in hospitals late Friday. Thirteen flag-draped coffins were placed aboard a C-17 and flown to a military installation in Dover, Del., for final funeral preparations.

McHugh, who succeeded Pete Geren of Fort Worth as army secretary Sept. 21, told reporters that the FBI and Defense Department are conducting a joint investigation into Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was felled in an exchange of gunfire with a civilian policewoman. Fort Hood officials also said late Friday that a civilian policeman also participated in the exchange with Hasan.

Hasan, who sustained at least four gunshot wounds, was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio at mid-afternoon, the Army said Friday night.

Though Hasan has been identified as the lone shooter, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said investigators will look into the possibility that others may have helped the assailant plan the attack. But McHugh said investigators don’t have any evidence suggesting that anyone else was involved.

Col. John Rossi, at mid-evening Friday, said Hasan apparently fired more than 100 rounds of ammunition from his two handguns, a 5.7 mm semiautomatic and an older model Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver.

New details also emerged about the shootout involving Hasan and police Sgt. Kimberly Munley, the quick-acting officer who was receiving international acclaim as the leading hero in the tragedy. Munley, 35, also remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds to the arm and leg and was reported in "high spirits."

Eliminating the threat

Her boss, Chuck Medley, director of emergency services at Fort Hood, said Munley was in the area when the gunfire was reported and rushed to the scene. Munley "saw some injured and scared people trying to move out of the area" and "received information that the suspect was between a set of buildings."

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