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11.06.2009

army releases names of fort hood shooting victims

By now, you've heard about the shooting rampage at Ford Hood. The gunman was identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old psychiatrist, fired more than 100 bullets inside Fort Hood's medical processing building on Thursday, killing 13 people and wounding 30 others.

The Army has released the names of the thirteen victims killed in the shootings. Among them, Specialist Kham Xiong, a 23-year-old father of three from St. Paul Minnesota, who was waiting in line for a physical when he was shot:
Kham Xiong, 23

Hometown: St. Paul
Rank: Specialist

Specialist Kham Xiong had been waiting in line for a physical when he was shot, his relatives told KSTP-TV in Minnesota. Specialist Xiong, who has three young children, had moved his family to Texas while he prepared to deploy overseas.

Tim McGowan, the principal of the high school at Community of Peace Academy, where Specialist Xiong graduated in 2004, confirmed his death, praised his character, and remembered his "ability to bring a smile to everyone's face." He said he had been an excellent role model, not only to his peers but to his siblings and his children.
Xiong was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan next month. His younger brother Nelson is already currently serving there and is due back in Minnesota later this month. It's ridiculous and tragic that the brother on the battlefield is coming back to this news. More here: St. Paul soldier with 3 kids among 13 killed.