One person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting at a Memorial Day weekend gathering at a recreation area on Fort Hood. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)
One person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting at a Memorial Day weekend gathering at a recreation area on Fort Hood, officials at the Texas Army installation said.
Gunfire broke out about 9 p.m. Saturday at Fort Hood’s Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area, where a large crowd had gathered, according to an installation news release. Two suspects were detained at the scene, but their identities had not been made public as of Monday, according to the Army.
Video posted on social media shows Army military police officers responding to an altercation in the middle of a large crowd gathered in the recreation area before a wave of gunshots breaks out. More than 20 gunshots can be heard in the about one-minute video as people in the crowd run away. It ends shortly after an MP jogs toward a parking lot where gunshots appear to be coming from, then returns fire.
Fort Hood officials confirmed the MPs fired shots during the altercation; they were not injured.
One person was medically evacuated from the scene by helicopter and later died at a hospital. The individual killed in the shooting was identified as Mia Griffin, 17, a Harker Heights High School senior who was set to graduate Friday, by the Killeen Independent School District, according to local news station KCEN-TV.
One service member was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, Fort Hood officials said. A civilian with no Defense Department affiliation was transported to a local hospital and remained in stable condition on Monday, the officials said.
The military police officers were called to the recreation area about 7 p.m. Saturday after receiving anonymous reports of disorderly conduct, including a vehicle bypassing gate security, and issues “involving alcohol, drugs and minors,” according to the Fort Hood news release.
Additional MPs and local emergency responders were immediately called to the scene after the gunfire broke out, it said.
The Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area is on Fort Hood but available for the general public’s use, according to the Army. It is operated by the Army’s Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation program.
No charges had been filed in the incident as of Tuesday morning.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division was “in the preliminary phase of its investigation” on Tuesday, CID officials said in an email. Investigators declined to provide further information, citing the open probe.
