Fort Hood: Four Dead In Base Shooting

Four people are dead after a US soldier opened fire at Fort Hood military base in Texas.

The soldier, who was being treated for psychiatric problems including depression and anxiety, is among the dead after shooting himself in the head.

Sixteen others have been injured, Lieutenant General Mark Milley told a press conference.

All those hit by the soldier's recently purchased 45-calibre semi-automatic weapon were in the military, Lt Gen Milley said.

The soldier, who served four months in Iraq in 2011, could have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He was married and had a family.

Fort Hood is home to 45,000 soldiers and 9,000 civilians

No link to terrorism is currently being made.

President Barack Obama says he is "heartbroken" that the base - where 13 people died in a shooting in 2009 - had suffered again.

"I want to assure everyone we are going to get to the bottom of what happened," said Mr Obama.

"Any shooting is troubling. Obviously this reopens the pain of what happened at Fort Hood five years ago. We know these families; we know their incredible service to this country and the sacrifices they make.

A Twitter alert posted by Fort Hood to implement a lockdown

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community and we're going to do everything we can to make sure the community at Fort Hood has what it needs to deal with the current situation and any potential aftermath.

"We're heartbroken that something like this might have happened again."

One hospital taking patients is Scott and White. Four people have arrived with gunshot wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen and two more are expected. Their conditions range from "stable to quite critical".

Fort Hood is the biggest military base in the US

All-clear sirens have now sounded at Fort Hood after several hours of lockdown. Personnel had been told to take shelter and stay away from doors and windows.

Outside the base, relatives of soldiers are waiting for news about their loved ones.

Tayra DeHart, 33, spoke to her husband, who is in the base, several hours ago. He was safe, but she has heard nothing since.

Poilce arrive at the scene

"The last two hours have been the most nerve-wracking I've ever felt," Mrs DeHart said. "I know God is here protecting me and all the soldiers, but I have my phone in my hand just hoping it will ring and it will be my husband."

The shooter was reported to be in the Medical Brigade Building.

Sky's US correspondent Amanda Walker said: "It was 4.30pm local time this happened. It's a huge military base. Around 45,000 soldiers are based there and 9,000 civilians.

"We saw helicopters and ambulances pretty much straight away. You would expect that, and past events have heightened that security.

Patients have been flown to hospital

"We don't know how the gunman got into the base.

"It is absolutely astonishing this has happened again at a secure military base that has had a terrible history with the previous shooting."

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel called the shootings a "terrible tragedy".

The base endured a shooting five years ago, which left 13 people dead and 30 injured.

Major Nidal Hasan faces the death sentence following the 2009 shooting

Asked whether security improvements made since the tragedy have been adequate, Mr Hagel said: "Obviously when we have these kinds of tragedies on our bases, something's not working."

Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan faces the death penalty for the 2009 killing spree.

In statements to the judge the American-born Muslim suggested he believed the attack was justified as a jihad against the US military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The base is the biggest in the US, covering 340 square miles.

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