EP. 187: TEXAS - The Ft. Hood Mass Shooting: A Terrorist Attack From The Inside (Pt. 1)

In today's episode, we examine a disturbing massacre that erupted on the Fort Hood military base outside of Killeen, Texas, during which 13 people were killed and more than 30 people were injured. The story of this mass shooting is dark, and highlights a number of key failures from within the American Intelligence community, and the United States Army itself. You're listening, to MURDER IN AMERICA. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  The best holiday finds aren't always the ones you went looking for. At Ross, discover unexpected gifts, fashion, decor, and plenty of reasons to keep looking. Ross, expect the unexpected.

• 0:15Speaker 01

  The real cost of a break-in isn't your valuables, it's the feeling that your home stopped being safe. SimpliSafe keeps danger away from your family with three layers of protection. One, smart AI cameras and live US-based agents help stop intruders before they break in. Two, we sound the alarm at points of entry. Three, our agents request emergency response. Plans starting around a dollar a day. Right now, get 70% off your new system with professional monitoring at simplisafe.com/spotify. Outdoor deterrence plans start at $49.99 a month. Visit simplisafe.com/licenses for alarm license information.

• 0:45Speaker 02

  Hi, I'm Chandler Garcia. As a PICU nurse and global health advocate, I've cared for women and children all over the world. And no matter where I go, or how tough the conditions get, I always wear my FIGS. These scrubs are lightweight, breathable, and super soft, perfect for long shifts in any environment. Wherever my work takes me, FIGS helps me show up ready to make a difference while looking and feeling my best. Get 15% off your first order at wherefigs.com with code FIGSRX. That's wherefigs.com code FIGSRX.

• 1:15Colin Brown?

  Warning: The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.

• 1:27Courtney Brown?

  Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children.

• 1:33Colin Brown?

  This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.

• 1:38Courtney Brown?

  A few months back, we told you the story of the 1991 Lubie's mass shooting, which took the lives of 23 people. It was one of the worst mass shootings in American history, and it all took place in Colleen, Texas. But before the massacre that tragically marked the town, not many people had even heard of Colleen. Back then, it was simply known as a quiet military town outside of Austin, Texas. But in 1991, there was a national spotlight on Colleen as the world learned that a gunman opened fire on innocent people eating lunch. It took years for the people of Colleen to heal from this tragedy, years of looking over their shoulder when they walk into a room,

• 2:21Courtney Brown?

  years of getting anxious when a loved one doesn't answer the phone. The Luby's massacre left a deep emotional wound in nearly everyone who lived in the town. But 18 years later, just as the people of Colleen were finally healing, another tragedy would strike. This time, a gunman would walk into the town's military base, Fort Hood, and in just a few short minutes, he would take the lives of as many people as he possibly could. However, unlike the 1991 Luby's massacre, this gunman was not some random man having a mental break. In fact, United States Army Major Nadal Hassan was a psychiatrist on the

• 3:02Courtney Brown?

  base, a man specifically hired to help soldiers with their mental health. Following this tragedy, many people started to wonder if the town of Colleen is cursed. First, a mass shooting in 1991, then another in 2009. But as we dug deeper into this town, we discovered so much more about the Colleen curse, and a lot of it seems to center around the Fort Hood military base. So for the next few weeks, we are going to do a series about all of the tragedies that have occurred here, starting with the Fort Hood massacre. I'm Courtney Brown.

• 3:38Colin Brown?

  And I'm Colin Brown.

• 3:40Courtney Brown?

  And you're listening to Murder in America.

• 4:48Colin Brown?

  Today, if you were to look up Fort Hood, you'd likely find a number of different articles talking about all of the tragedies that have taken place there. But during your search, you'd probably find that it isn't even called Fort Hood anymore. Established in 1942, the base was originally a training location for tank destroyers during World War II, and it was named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. But in 2023, the US military decided to change its name. Hoping to correct racial injustice in the wake of the 2020 Civil Rights Movement, they renamed the base to Fort Cavazos. So, instead of it being named after a Confederate general, it's now named after the Army's first Hispanic four-star general, Richard Edward Cavazos. Now, there were mixed opinions about this

• 5:33Colin Brown?

  name change, but there were a lot of people who were happy to leave the name Fort Hood in the past, not only because of who the base was named after, but for years, anytime someone mentioned Fort Hood, all that could come to mind was darkness, death, and tragedy. So maybe a new name could now give them a fresh start. But back in 2009, before all the tragedy that stained its reputation, the town of Colleen was proud of Fort Hood. Covering roughly 340 square miles, it was one of the biggest military bases in the world. So, since its opening in 1942, Colleen has been a military town through and through.

• 6:10Colin Brown?

  Many people who live there have a connection to Fort Hood. And for decades, the base not only helped their local economy, but the economy in Texas as a whole. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hager stated, "The tradition of military service is long in our great state, and our respect for those who serve is enduring." "These installations are critical to both our national security and to the Texas economy, generating an overall economic output of more than $150 billion." "These installations are also vibrant and dynamic partners in the community, supporting not just business and industry, but also schools, charities, youth sports, and cultural events." "The US military and the men and women who serve are a key part of what makes Texas the greatest state in the nation."

• 6:53Courtney Brown?

  When soldiers arrived at Fort Hood, they would go through a rigorous 10-week training program, preparing them for future combat. The base was used for tank operation training, live-fire exercises, simulations, and combat aviation. And after their 10 weeks of training, many of their soldiers then went on to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. But back then, people were actually excited to do their basic training at Fort Hood. It was even nicknamed "The Great Place", due to its reputation of taking care of their soldiers and their family members. The base offered great healthcare, schools, housing, entertainment. It was a place that people were proud to call home.

• 7:37Courtney Brown?

  That is until November 5th, 2009, when 13 people lost their lives at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. From that moment on, people no longer referred to Fort Hood as "The Great Place." In fact, the darkness that infiltrated the base that day never really left. And since then, Fort Hood has been plagued by homicides, suicides, sexual assaults, and domestic abuse. But let's start with the tragedy that started this domino effect.

• 8:08Colin Brown?

  Nadal Malik Hassan was born on September 8th, 1970 in Arlington, Virginia. His parents Malik and Nora were Palestinian immigrants who came to America in the 1960s. Nadal was the couple's first child, and a year after his birth, they welcomed a son named Anas Malik. Together, the family of four would move into a small apartment on Lancelot Lane in Roanoke, and their goal was to raise their children with a typical American upbringing. They wanted to fit in here, so every year, they celebrated Christmas, went to birthday parties, and they tried their hardest not to speak Arabic to each other. It seemed as if they truly wanted to leave their Palestinian roots behind so they could be accepted here. Eventually, after the birth of their third son, Yad, their family even adopted American

• 8:53Colin Brown?

  names. Nadal sometimes went by Michael, and Yad went by Eddie. Both parents, Malik and Nora, came to the United States to pursue the American dream. And in 1987, they opened up the Capital Restaurant in the Roanoke City Market. An article in the Roanoke Times stated that the restaurant was a dive beer hall and diner with a bad reputation and a lot of down-and-out regulars. A place where patrons enjoyed greasy, blue-plate specials and sipped on old Milwaukee's while a jukebox played Motown. And their hard work paid off. Eventually, through the success of their first restaurant, they were able to open more businesses in town, including Hot Dog Queen, Parish Grocery, and Community Grocery. Then in 1995, they even opened their first upscale eatery called Mount Olive Bar and Grill.

• 9:38Colin Brown?

  After 10 years of hard work, Malik and Nora were well-respected throughout the community. They worked nearly every day, paving the way for their family, and it didn't go unnoticed. People in the community described the Hassan's as friendly, honest, and hard-working. Nora was known for keeping things in order, even when customers had a little too much to drink, and if someone couldn't afford to pay, she would never let them leave with an empty stomach.

• 10:02Courtney Brown?

  With the success of their businesses, the Hassan's were able to purchase a modest two-story white home at 666 Ramada Road in Vinton. By the time they moved in, their oldest son Nadal was a senior at William Fleming High School. Nadal was described as a very serious student. He rarely ever socialized with students his age, and he never participated in extracurricular activities. And when he wasn't focused on school, Nadal and his brothers were helping with the family business, bussing tables or washing dishes. But even though he wasn't popular amongst his peers, people knew who he was. Nadal was the type of kid in class who didn't really talk,

• 10:46Courtney Brown?

  but when he did, it was typically a joke that would make people laugh. One of his high school history teachers would later say, "Nadal was a very bright, outgoing, and fine young man."

• 10:59Courtney Brown?

  In 1988, Nadal was approaching high school graduation, and with his good grades, many people were expecting him to go off to college. But Nadal had other plans. He wanted to serve in the United States Army. Now, his parents were not happy with this decision, but Nadal was adamant. He wanted to serve our country, the country where he had been born and raised. So after high school graduation, he made his way to Georgia to train at the Fort Benning Military Base. And he seemed to like it. Once his training was completed, he was then sent to Fort Irwin in California. And while there, he also decided to enroll in Barstow Community College. This would end up being a pivotal decision for Nadal,

• 11:44Courtney Brown?

  because during that year, he really excelled in school, making straight As in all of his classes: English, Algebra, Biology, and Political Science. After making the dean's list, Nadal's military career was deferred, and he decided to enroll in school full-time.

• 12:03Colin Brown?

  After making this decision, Nadal actually moved back home with his parents in Roanoke and enrolled at the Virginia Western Community College. In 1992, he graduated summa cum laude with an associate's degree in science. And from here, he decided to continue his schooling at Virginia Tech, which is ironically the site of the 2007 mass shooting that we've previously discussed here on this podcast. But back in 1992, Nadal Hassan was a new student at Virginia Tech majoring in biochemistry with a minor in chemistry and biology. And once again, he proved to be a hardworking student. That semester, he even approached his biochemistry professor, Dr. George E. Bunce, and asked if he could work with him in his research lab for extra credit.

• 12:47Colin Brown?

  Ultimately, his professor agreed, but he wasn't the easiest person to work with. In the book titled Death on Base: The Fort Hood Massacre, Dr. Bunce remembered Nadal's time at the lab and stated, "Usually students begin undergraduate research as juniors, but students in good standing academically were allowed to begin as freshmen or sophomores. I remember him being quiet and respectful in his initial meeting with me. I allowed him to work on a research project that was part of a larger program. After a month or so of work, his lab instructor Catherine Simon complained to me that Nadal was not using good technique, and as a consequence, many of the cultures were becoming contaminated with bacteria. Worse, she said that he was not cooperative in taking her advice on how to improve.

• 13:30Colin Brown?

  I called Nadal into my office and told him that he would have to accept Ms. Simon's directions or we would have to remove him from the project. As I recall, he grudgingly agreed to finish the semester. He chose not to re-enroll in this activity with me for the next semester." Nadal was from a Palestinian refugee family. I attributed his attitude as a part of his cultural reluctance to taking direction from a female. And his lab instructor Catherine Simon agreed. She said that although Nadal was interested in the work at the lab, he was reluctant to take directions from her. After she spoke with Dr. Bunce about Nadal's attitude, she stated, "Nadal came back to the lab and he was very confrontational with me. It was very much that he would not take responsibility."

• 14:13Courtney Brown?

  But despite this, Nadal did well in school. He was an eager student who was very serious about his education. And when he wasn't studying, he was helping his parents with their family business. Like in high school, Nadal did not socialize with anyone. Every day, he would travel from his parents' house to Virginia Tech. Then after his classes, he would work, study, and spend time with his family. But other than that, he didn't do much. Even when the biochemistry department would get together for outings at bars or restaurants, Nadal always refused the invitation. He just wasn't one to socialize. Dr. Bunce would later say, quote, "Nadal seemed to me to be hardworking,

• 14:56Courtney Brown?

  but not an especially imaginative young man. He was not outgoing, but neither did he appear to be antisocial. I did not detect any pathological characteristics. He gave no indication of being particularly religious or hostile." End quote. Now in 1995, after years of hard work, Nadal would graduate from Virginia Tech with a degree in biochemistry. And luckily for him, because of his time in the military, his entire college education had been paid for in full by the United States Army. A few weeks after his college graduation, Nadal was ready to get back into the military. And soon enough, he was placed on active duty in Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio.

• 15:41Courtney Brown?

  This time, Nadal wanted to pursue medical training. Throughout his life, learning had always been his strong suit. And if the Army was going to pay for his schooling, then why not become a doctor? Nadal Hassan had a good plan. Things were going well for him. But all of that would change in April of 1998, when his father, 51-year-old Malik, suddenly passed away from a heart attack inside the family home on Ramada Road. When Nadal learned that his father passed, he was devastated. Malik was the backbone of their family. From that moment on, everything seemed to fall apart for them. Nadal's mother Nora was heartbroken after her husband's death.

• 16:23Courtney Brown?

  Eventually, she would even sell their home and move into a one-bedroom apartment in the Washington DC suburb of Kensington, Maryland. But she was really struggling, so much so, Nadal decided to move back home for a while to care for his mother. And to help her cope with the loss, Nadal started taking his mom to the local mosque in Falls Church, Virginia. Now, throughout their life, the Hassan family identified as Muslim, but they were never really religious. Upon moving to America, they actually distanced themselves from religion in order to fit in. However, death tends to bring people closer to God. And with the death of his father, they searched for comfort at their mosque.

• 17:07Courtney Brown?

  But Nadal Hassan would find much more than just comfort in God. He would find a mentor named Anwar Al-Awlaki.

• 17:16Colin Brown?

  Anwar Al-Awlaki was born on April 21st, 1971, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. So he was a United States citizen. But when Anwar was just seven years old, he and his family would move to Yemen, and they would stay there for the next 13 years. However, in 1991, Anwar decided to come back to the United States, where he enrolled at Colorado State University. He was 20 years old and working on his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Anwar was described as a smart guy. He was also very passionate about his beliefs. People who knew him said that at this time in his life, he became very interested in politics and religion. And during his third year of college, he would actually travel to Afghanistan, where it was reported that he trained with the Mujahideen,

• 17:59Colin Brown?

  a radical group of guerrilla soldiers who fight on behalf of Islam. When he came back to the US, Anwar decided to become an Imam at a local mosque in Fort Collins, Colorado. An Imam is essentially a leader at a mosque who helps lead prayers. And he would work here until he graduated from college in 1994. After his graduation, Anwar would move to San Diego to obtain his master's degree. And while there, he befriended two men he met at a San Diego mosque, named Khalid Al-Midar and Nawaf Al-Hamzi. And surprisingly, a few years later... These two men would later become two of the hijackers during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But in early 2001, before 9/11, Anwar would leave San Diego and move to Northern Virginia,

• 18:43Colin Brown?

  where he became an Imam at the Dar al-Hijra Mosque, the same mosque that Nadal Hassan attended after his father's death.

• 18:51Courtney Brown?

  Now, before we get into Anwar and Nadal's connection, we have to talk about Anwar's influence. He was a very popular leader at this mosque. According to people who knew him, he had a unique way of connecting with the Muslim youth, and like we just mentioned, he helped influence some of the 9/11 terrorists. Now by this point, Anwar had a wife and five children. He also had a mission. By 2003, it was reported that he started recruiting young Muslim men for jihadist campaigns in the Middle East. And in 2006, he and his family left the United States and traveled to Yemen, but while there, he would get arrested.

• 19:33Courtney Brown?

  During his first two years in jail, the FBI interrogated him multiple times about his possible connection to the 9/11 attacks, but they were never able to prove that he was connected, despite being friends with two of the hijackers. But after his release from jail, Anwar became even more radicalized, and he started to share his radical beliefs through online blogs. He was described as charismatic and persuasive, and he gained a lot of followers. Anwar's teaching actually helped influence a number of terrorists, including the July 7 bombings in London, the Toronto 18 Group in Canada, the Sarnaev brothers who were responsible

• 20:15Courtney Brown?

  for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, some of the 9/11 hijackers, and Nadal Hassan, the mass shooter in this episode. So as you can see, Anwar's influence was very widespread. In his blogs, he often advocated for violence against the United States. One of his lectures was titled "44 Ways to Support Jihad." Now, the definition of jihad is "holy war." It's also defined as a "struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam." But the word is often associated with terrorism, and in Anwar's lectures, he wrote the following:

• 20:54Colin Brown?

  Preparing for jihad is obligatory since jihad today is obligatory and the Sharia rule states that “whatever is needed for an obligatory act becomes obligatory.” Arms training is an essential part of preparation for jihad. Allah says: “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you don’t know but Allah knows.” The Messenger of Allah said regarding this verse: “Power is marksmanship,” related by Muslim. The issue was so critical that if arms training is not possible in your country, then it is worth the time and money to travel to another country to train if you can. Soon enough, Anwar’s blogs gained a lot of popularity all over the world.

• 21:37Colin Brown?

  He even translated his blogs to English so he could have influence in the United States. And it seemed to be working. Now, a lot of his followers were young influential Muslims. Like we mentioned earlier, he worked with the Islamic youth in the United States and he had a way of connecting with them. On his website, he posted blogs and videos of himself talking about his views. And many experts have said that it was essentially a virtual bible for radical Muslims. He encouraged his followers to email him with any questions they might have, and so he became a mentor to many people all over the world, which is concerning considering some of his messages. In one blog, Anwar tells his followers: “Don’t consult with anybody in the killing of Americans. Fighting the devil doesn’t require consultation or prayers seeking divine guidance.

• 22:22Colin Brown?

  They are the party of the devil.”

• 22:25Courtney Brown?

  Now by 2006, Anwar was already living in the Middle East, fully devoted to spreading his beliefs through his blogs. But years earlier, back in 2001, he was living in Virginia, attending the same mosque as future mass shooter Nadal Hassan. Like we mentioned earlier, Nadal and his family were never really religious. They identified as Muslim but they never practiced it. However, after the death of his father Malik... Both Nadal and his mom Nora leaned more into their religion. Then sadly, just a few months after his father died, Nadal's mother would be diagnosed with cancer. Now this was supposed to be a happy time for Nadal.

• 23:09Courtney Brown?

  He had just been accepted into medical school at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. But after his mother's cancer diagnosis, Nadal decided to put that on hold and move back home to care for his mom. For the next few months, Nadal dedicated his time to taking his mother to the doctor and going with her to their local mosque. And after a while, his love for Islam grew. Nadal even started praying five times a day, and he memorized sections of the Quran. But unfortunately, on May 30th, 2001, his mom Nora Hassan passed away at the age of 49. Once again, Nadal was devastated. He had lost both of his parents in just a few short years.

• 23:54Courtney Brown?

  But someone who brought him a lot of comfort during this time was Anwar Al Alaki, who was a leader at their mosque. Anwar even presided over Nora's funeral. Now interestingly enough, when Nadal's father died a few years back, his funeral was held at a non-denominational funeral home, as they weren't religious at the time. But with Nora's funeral, Nadal really felt the love of his Muslim community. Her funeral was held in this huge mosque, where hundreds of people came to pray for her and pay their respects. However, in the weeks after his mom's death, Nadal began to worry about her soul and the afterlife. You see, as he learned more about his religion,

• 24:38Courtney Brown?

  he learned that there are strict rules Muslims have to follow. As we mentioned earlier, his family owned a convenience store that sold liquor. And because of that... Nadal became paranoid that his mom didn't make it into heaven. According to Catherine Pope's Program on Extremism, a case study in the lone actor terrorism, "Hassan's parents owned a convenience store that sold alcohol, which Hassan came to believe was forbidden by Islam. The sin of selling alcohol would, in Hassan's mind, damn his mother to an eternity of burning in hell." This religious interpretation was one he believed to be entirely literal: "His mother would spend an eternity burning in a pit of fire."

• 25:21Courtney Brown?

  So this was a very pivotal moment in Nadal's life. From this point on, it seems as if he was trying to erase his family's sin by dedicating his life to his religion.

• 25:34Colin Brown?

  Hey everybody, Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review. Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program, so if you're listening and you're loving what we're doing here, share us on your Instagram story, shout us out on X, post one of our shows on your Facebook, and let the world, your friends, your family, know that you're listening to Murder in America. It seriously helps us so much, helps us grow the show. We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all. But let's get back to the story.

• 26:19Colin Brown?

  Shortly after his mom's death, Nadal would move into a place of his own, and it was a lonely time for him. He lost both of his parents, he had put his medical career on hold, and he was searching for meaning. And it's here where he really started leaning on Anwar al-Awlaki. Now, he had only met him once at his mom's funeral, but Anwar had made a lasting impression. Soon enough, Nadal was purchasing CDs of Anwar's recorded sermons, and he was really impressed by how powerful they were. He also loved Anwar's knowledge of the Quran. According to Nadal's family members, he was kind of obsessed with Anwar. He kept a book of his CDs in the trunk of his car, and he was always trying to hand out copies of them. And then, just four months after his mother's death, 9/11

• 27:01Colin Brown?

  happened. And while all of America was completely heartbroken over this tragedy, Nadal Hassan felt very torn. Growing up, he had felt a lot of love for his country. This was the country that his parents came to, seeking the American dream. It was where they were able to thrive and make names for themselves in their community. Nadal grew up loving America, so much so that he had even joined the military. But then, after 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan. And from there, he felt like the country he loved and served was now raging a war against Islam.

• 27:33Courtney Brown?

  In addition to this, Nadal also faced a lot of discrimination after the 9/11 attacks for being Muslim. People would call him slurs. On one occasion, according to the book Death on Base, Nadal found a diaper on his car with a message that read, quote, "This is your headdress," end quote. So Nadal felt very isolated in America. But someone who always brought him comfort, someone who understood his struggles, was Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was growing more and more radicalized. But during this time, despite Nadal's growing hatred towards America, he decided to move forward and finally start medical school.

• 28:15Courtney Brown?

  After all, if the military was going to fully pay for his education, he might as well take advantage of it. And it's here where he decided his focus was going to be on psychiatry. Now, in the beginning, he thought he wanted to do more hands-on medical care, but he quickly learned that blood made him squeamish. In fact, at one point, he was required to attend a live birth, and during it, he fainted. So that's when he decided on psychiatry. And of course, he excelled in school as he always did. But his studies weren't the only thing he was focused on. During medical school, he also fully entrenched himself into Islam, which caused a pretty big internal struggle.

• 28:59Courtney Brown?

  Nadal had a career in the military, the very military who was invading Iraq and Afghanistan. And Nadal took it personally. These attacks were against his own people, his own religion. At some point, he even petitioned to leave the military early, but his request was denied. A few weeks later, he sent a second petition trying to leave early. And this time, he even said he would fully repay them for all of the money they spent on his tuition, but again, it was denied. So it's here where he decided to just wait it out until his time was up. Financially, that was his best option, but no one truly knew just how dangerous this was.

• 29:41Courtney Brown?

  Nadal was growing more and more radicalized in his religion, and he was serving a country that he no longer honored. And not only that, but he was involved in an organization that he believed was fighting against his own people. After graduating from medical school in 2003, Nadal started his residency at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC. And according to his colleagues, he was very vocal in his beliefs about the wars in the Middle East. He would even vent to coworkers and patients about how he felt. According to one student named Naomi Sermon, Nadal approached her one day and asked if she knew anything about Islam.

• 30:24Courtney Brown?

  When she told him that she didn't know much, he started scolding her. He even told her that she would one day burn in hell. Naomi would later say that she felt very uncomfortable, and she made it a point to avoid Nadal during the remainder of their residency. But what was really concerning is that he was entering the field of psychiatry. A psychiatrist is supposed to make people feel safe and understood.

• 30:48Colin Brown?

  Now, on March 23rd, 2003, a tragedy would take place at an American military base in the Middle East that would leave Nadal Hassan feeling inspired. That morning, at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait, a military sergeant from Los Angeles named Hassan Akbar would sneak over to the power generators and turn them off so that the base went completely dark. He then threw four M67 hand grenades into the tents of soldiers while they slept. As the grenades exploded, many people tried to run for safety, but Akbar was waiting for them with an M4 rifle. Ultimately, he killed two officers and wounded 14. The incident was eye-opening for America. Sergeant Hassan Akbar was one of their own, and after the

• 31:31Colin Brown?

  tragedy, they would make a disturbing discovery. As it turned out, he had been keeping a journal for 13 years, and it would later be used in his trial. In 1992, he wrote, "I made a promise, that if I am not able to achieve success because of some Caucasians, I will kill as many of them as possible." In 1993, he wrote, "A Muslim should see himself as a Muslim only. His loyalty should be to Islam only." On February 4th, 2003, he wrote, "I suppose they want to punk me or just humiliate me. Perhaps they feel that I will not do anything about that. They're right about that. I'm not going to do anything about it, as long as I stay here. But as soon as I am in Iraq, I'm going to try and kill as many of them as possible."

• 32:13Colin Brown?

  A few weeks before the attack, Akbar wrote, "I may not have killed any Muslims, but being in the army is the same thing. I may have to make a choice very soon on who to kill." When the news spread about this story, Americans were horrified, but not Nadal. He was inspired, and he wouldn't stop talking about it with anyone who would listen. One of his supervisors even stated that afterwards, Nadal really wanted to study more stories of Muslim soldiers who had committed fratricide, which is the killing of one's own forces in war.

• 32:42Courtney Brown?

  Now during his residency, Nadal actually had to counsel soldiers who were coming home from Iraq, many of whom were suffering from PTSD. However, in these sessions, he started talking to the soldiers about Islam, and it almost felt like he was preaching to them. When his supervisors found out about this, he clearly got into some trouble. They even had to have meetings with him about, quote, "inappropriately discussing religious topics with his assigned patients," end quote. But after a while, it was time for Nadal to take his mandatory United States medical licensing exam. However, he didn't show up for it. Which resulted in him being put on probation.

• 33:25Courtney Brown?

  And from here, Nadal began neglecting his studies. He started skipping classes. He would show up late to morning reports, which, again, were mandatory. It was obvious to everyone that Nadal no longer wanted to be a top student. He also failed to show up for the mandatory psychiatry resident in-service training examination. His supervisors tried to work with him. They had multiple meetings to discuss his regression, but Nadal didn't seem to care. His fellow classmates described him as, quote, "disconnected, aloof, paranoid, belligerent, and schizoid," end quote. And it wasn't just his colleagues that noticed a change in him. His family members noticed too.

• 34:09Courtney Brown?

  At family gatherings, Nadal seemed obsessed with the topic of Islam. He even scolded his cousin for not being a dedicated enough follower. The same cousin would eventually bring his girlfriend over for Thanksgiving, and Nadal started yelling at him in front of everyone. He thought it was disrespectful for the unmarried woman to leave her home with a male guardian. Now, following this, his cousin completely cut off all contact with him. Over the years, he just wasn't the same person anymore. And his growing conservatism towards Islam was driving a wedge between him and his family.

• 34:46Colin Brown?

  Back at his residency, Nadal continued to isolate himself from his colleagues. And in the meantime, he fell even deeper into his religious studies. During Christmas one year, his colleagues wanted to take a group picture together, but Nadal refused because he didn't want to take a picture with a female. And despite his supervisor's orders, he continued talking to people about Islam and his views about the war in the Middle East. At some point, his advisors even pulled him aside and said that they didn't think the military was the right fit for him. They also offered to help him resign if that was something he still wanted. Nadal told them that he would leave, but only if he could be honorably discharged. However, they couldn't make that work. So from here, Nadal decided to stay, but nothing would change.

• 35:30Colin Brown?

  He continued to be a problem. In one argument he had with a classmate, Nadal mentioned Sharia law, which are the religious laws of Islam. And he said that he believed Sharia law was superior to the constitution. So the classmate then brought up a portion of the Quran that talks about martyrs. In that portion, it says that people who die for Islam will be rewarded with a bunch of heavenly maidens, or virgins, when they get to heaven. So this classmate asked him his opinion on this saying, "So you think suicide bombers are rewarded with virgins in heaven?" To which Nadal responded, "Yes." During one presentation where residents had to do a project on issues related to mental health, Nadal presented a 50-page PowerPoint about the persecution of Muslims by wars in the Middle East. One of his slides stated,

• 36:15Colin Brown?

  "It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims." And his final slide stated, "Fighting to establish an Islamic state to please God, even by force, is condoned by the Islam. Muslim soldiers should not serve in any capacity that renders them at risk to hurting, killing believers unjustly."

• 36:38Courtney Brown?

  Now I do want to point out that we are not talking poorly about anyone's religion. These are just the facts of the case. And it's important to talk about them considering Nadal will one day murder 13 people in the name of Islam. But I also want to point out how unsettling it must have been for Muslim Americans during this time. Most Muslims are good and peaceful people who don't want to hurt anyone. They just want to practice their religion in peace and be left alone. I can also empathize with the fact that during this time, it had to have been hard for Muslim Americans, knowing that their family was fighting a war against their people in the Middle East. Now thousands of people died in 9/11, which was absolutely devastating for our country.

• 37:23Courtney Brown?

  But in turn, hundreds of thousands of civilians were directly killed because of the wars in the Middle East. Then indirectly due to the impact of the war, it's been reported that millions of people lost their lives. So for Muslim Americans watching that unfold, I know it had to have been difficult. And sadly, in response to all of that, a number of Muslims would become even more radicalized, including Nadal Hassan. But it goes without saying that taking matters into your own hands and gunning down over a dozen people is never the answer. And unbeknownst to everyone, Nadal Hassan was on that very path. But despite his growing radicalization,

• 38:05Courtney Brown?

  Nadal's performance in the army at this time was outstanding. They even noted, quote, "Must promote, best qualified, a star officer." And in 2007, he would officially complete his residency at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. From there, he would start his fellowship in preventative disaster psychiatry. Ironically, the program was created to train psychiatrists to use their skills to help with mass casualties, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters.

• 38:39Colin Brown?

  During the first year of the program, Nadal presented a project titled, "Religious Conflicts Among U.S. Muslim Soldiers." In part, it read, "Do you agree or disagree? Groups in the Muslim world that attack American civilians are defending Islam against America's efforts to divide and dominate the Islamic world." It also read, "Thinking now about U.S. actions around the world, please tell me if you think the following are or are not U.S. goals. Please say if you think it is, to weaken and divide the Islamic world." Now during this time, Nadal continued to attend the Silver Spring Mosque in Kensington, Maryland. He would go to the mosque nearly every day, dressed in his army fatigues. Imam Fazul Khan, who was the mosque's leader, would later say that Nadal prayed five times a day

• 39:23Colin Brown?

  and was always reading the Quran. But he was also a very isolated individual. Members would try to invite him to different programs and events at the mosque, but he never attended. It seemed as if he preferred to keep to himself. But then one day Imam Fazul Khan said that Nadal approached him and asked for his help in finding a traditional Muslim wife. But he was adamant on the exact type of woman he wanted. She had to pray five times a day, she had to wear a hijab, and she had to be a strict follower of Islam. Imam Khan would say, "He was interested in getting married, and I offer a matrimonial service here at the mosque. That's where I got to know him a little better. He would come here and look at the files for a wife. He attended our seminars once or twice, and there was really no one that was pious enough for him."

• 40:07Courtney Brown?

  And after a while, Nadal even started having problems with people at the mosque. By 2008, he started speaking with them about the idea of jihad, and they were all a little thrown off. One member stated, quote, "I was trying to modernize him. I tried my best. He used to hate America as a whole. He was more anti-American than American. I couldn't get through to him. He was a typical fundamentalist Muslim." End quote. So when Nadal failed to find anyone to agree with him at the mosque, he turned to the internet to vent his frustrations. According to Death on Base, Nadal found an article on Scribd.com that reprimanded

• 40:48Courtney Brown?

  suicide bombers, and he posted, quote, "Suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers. If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard, that would be considered a strategic victory." End quote. For Nadal, anyone who sacrificed their lives to defend their religion died an honorable death. Now surely, if anyone in the army would have seen these online posts, they could have taken action, but no one did. And unbeknownst to everyone, Nadal was still communicating with Anwar al-Awlaki.

• 41:28Courtney Brown?

  In fact, between December of 2008 and June of 2009, Nadal sent him 16 emails. Now by that time, Anwar was already living in Yemen, and he was on the terrorist watch list.

• 41:41Colin Brown?

  Something that I love in life are flavors that are salty and sweet. I mean, there's nothing better than a dark chocolate bar with sea salt on top. I mean, it's just, it's one of those things that I absolutely love in life that I will eat if I see it in front of me. And salt can enhance the flavor of so many different dishes, but especially desserts. That's why when Courtney and I tried Kachava's new salted caramel flavor, we were blown away. It actually tasted like salted caramel, which was crazy to me, and it was so delicious. Kachava's new salted caramel is the perfect balance of mouthwatering flavor and benefits. One serving provides all the nutrition your body craves in one deliciously simple shake, and just two scoops provide complete nutrition your body craves with protein, fiber, greens, and so much more. When the day demands your salty side, fill it with plant-based protein that actually tastes delicious.

• 42:26Colin Brown?

  Kachava provides clean nutrition. There are no fillers, no nonsense, just like when you're feeling a little salty. There are also no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. Kachava is non-GMO, no soy, no animal products, no gluten, and no preservatives. And there are so many different flavors to choose from, including chocolate, vanilla, chai, matcha, strawberry, coffee, cinnamon, French toast, and of course, salted caramel. Courtney and I have tried Kachava shakes. We love them, and even the packaging is really cool. That's something that I love about how the shakes are packaged and sent to you. I mean, you have to just hold it in your hand to see what I'm talking about. But yeah, we love them. Our pantry is stocked with Kachava products now. So why don't you embrace your salty side? Go to kachava.com and use code MIA for 15% off your first order. That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com, code MIA.

• 43:12Speaker 05

  Does checking your bank statements feel like digging through a dusty attic full of forgotten subscriptions and old free trials?

• 43:20Speaker 05

  Experian can help take the pain out of canceling by handling it for you. Think of it as Operation Get Your Sanity Back. Over 200 subscriptions are cancelable. So get started in the Experian app and see how much you could save. Results will vary. Not all subscriptions eligible. Savings not guaranteed. Paid membership with connected payment account required. See experian.com for details.

• 43:41Speaker 00

  The best holiday finds aren't always the ones you went looking for. At Ross, discover unexpected gifts, fashion, decor, and plenty of reasons to keep looking. Ross, expect the unexpected.

• 43:57Colin Brown?

  Through his website, Al-Awki encouraged American Muslims to “carry out violent jihad against anyone who is not Muslim.” On December 17, 2008, Nadal wrote to Al-Awki and expressed his concern about Muslim Americans being forced to fight in wars against other Muslims. He also asked if he thought Hassan Akbar, who had attacked Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait in 2003, was a martyr for the Islamic faith. Now, since Anwar al-Awki had ties to al-Qaeda, the government had been keeping an eye on him, and they actually intercepted Nadal’s email. In fact, the San Diego FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force marked the email as “a product of interest” due to it referring the American military. However, for an unknown reason, the email fell through the cracks.

• 44:42Colin Brown?

  No one really looked into it, and they didn’t see that the sender of the email was an active member of the US Army. To me, this is highly suspicious and a massive fail by American intelligence services. I have my own thoughts on these issues, but I’ll keep them to myself. Regardless, at this point Nadal was then free to keep communicating with Anwar al-Awki. On January 1, 2009, Nadal wrote a second email to Al-Awki that stated, “Is it better for Muslims to say ‘I am just Muslim and not Sunni or Shia, which seems to divide us?’” Now, this time, the FBI marked that the email was “not a product of interest,” and a note was placed in the file where the task force agent wrote, “Though name-redacted’s

• 45:25Colin Brown?

  research indicates that Nadal is not a military member, I still think this would make a good intelligence information report. There might be other information out there that links him to the military in some way. Did you check to see what other Hassans are in the military? If not, I can have our guy run just the last name.”

• 45:42Courtney Brown?

  So essentially, someone in the FBI looked up Nadal’s name, and finally saw that he was in the US military. But for whatever reason, he was labeled as a “communications officer.” So from there, a message was sent to Nadal’s home base in Washington DC that read, “The individual is likely an Army communications officer stationed at Walter Reed. I would recommend that this not be disseminated as an intelligence information report, since he may have access to message traffic. If this needs to get to the military...” Washington Field Office might have to do it internally. While email contact with Aulaki does not necessarily indicate participation in terrorist-related

• 46:27Courtney Brown?

  matters. Aulaki's reputation, background, and anti-US sentiments are well-known. Although the contents of these messages were not overtly nefarious, this type of contact with Aulaki would be of concern if the writer is actually the individual identified above. End quote. Now, Nadal had no idea that the FBI had intercepted his emails. And even though Aulaki hadn't responded back to him, he continued to send him emails.

• 46:56Colin Brown?

  On January 16th, 2009, he wrote his third email that stated, "Is it permissible to fire unguided rockets into Israel? There is no question that firing unguided rockets into Israel has the potential of indiscriminately killing civilians. The real question is why Hamas would do such a thing. Can one envision a scenario where it would be acceptable to do so? Well, what if Israel was and continues to indiscriminately kill and hurt civilians and commit other atrocities in the Gaza territory to serve their expansionary ambitions? One can then begin to at least understand why Palestinians would do such a thing. In fact, it is probably one of the things that they can do in an attempt to avenge themselves and repulse the enemy." Two days later, another email was sent, and this time Nadal expressed his support of

• 47:41Colin Brown?

  Hamas. By February 16th, Nadal had not received any correspondence back from Aulaki, but he fired off another email that read, "Please have alternative to donate to your website. For example, check slash money orders may be sent to Redacted. This can assure privacy for some who are concerned."

• 47:59Courtney Brown?

  It seems as if Nadal was growing increasingly impatient with Aulaki's lack of communication. So he fired off two more emails on the same day. The last one saying that he had created a $5,000 scholarship for anyone who could write the best essay titled, "Why is Anwar al-Aulaki a Great Activist and Leader?" Now, Nadal clearly hoped that flattery would catch the attention of Aulaki. And luckily for him, it did. On February 19th, Aulaki replied, quote, "Nadal."

• 48:33Courtney Brown?

  I pray this message reaches you at the best state of Iman and health. I don't travel, so I won't be able to physically award the prize. And I am too embarrassed, for lack of a better word, to award it anyway. May Allah assist you in your efforts. Your brother, Anwar Awlaki. End quote. So, in the end, Awlaki basically rejected Nadal's idea of rewarding someone with a scholarship.

• 48:59Colin Brown?

  But to keep the conversation going, Nadal asked Awlaki how he could donate money and for his advice in finding a Muslim wife. And once again, the FBI intercepted this email, but marked it as "not a product of interest." On February 22, 2009, Awlaki sent his second and final email to Nadal. He wrote, "Believe it or not, I kind of felt that the contest would end up running into red tape. People in that part of the world are becoming very timid, and it doesn't look it's getting any better. Thanks for the offer to help. Well, it is needed, but I just don't know how to do it. There are poor people, orphans, widows, Dawah projects, and the list goes on. So if you have any ideas on how to get help across and in accordance to law in a climate that is strict to start with, please let me know.

• 49:44Colin Brown?

  Tell me more about yourself. I will keep an eye for a sister." Nadal was ecstatic that Awlaki had responded, and a few hours after he received the email, he wrote back, "I will keep trying. If Allah wants something to occur, no one can stop it. My job is to put in the effort and have patience. Your various works force the controversial issues to surface and be addressed. If there's going to be a resolution between Islam and the West, the difficult issues need to be brought up. I think this is important. It may take many generations before people realize the gift that Allah has given them through your work. But I see the value now and don't have to wait for your death. My goal is Jannat for Daus, and I praise and thank Allah for giving me the ability to strive, to see the truth, to beg for His forgiveness, and ask for His guidance."

• 50:29Colin Brown?

  If people truly understood the peace they could have by really believing that Allah is in control and that He is just testing to see who is the best among us, it would be a lot easier to see through Shaitan's promises of poverty and destruction. I want to be with those who are the best. Imam, if you have any specific projects that you feel are important to get on their feet, let me know. I will read up on them and Inshallah, I will praise Allah. In regards to a sister for marriage, my name is Nadal Hassan. If you Google CSTS and Nadal Hassan, you will see a picture of me. I currently reside in Silver Spring, Maryland. I was born and raised in the US. Both of my parents are from Palestine and have both passed away. I joined the US military at age seventeen as an infantryman. I subsequently

• 51:13Colin Brown?

  received a BS in biochemistry degree in medicine with a residency training in psychiatry, and am just finishing up my fellowship training in disaster and preventive psychiatry. During my working career, I've been a busboy, a dishwasher, a cook, a cashier, a lab technician, a researcher, and entrepreneur. Allah lifted the veil from my eyes about eight to nine years ago, and I have been striving for Jannah for now ever since. I hope, Inshallah, my endeavor will be realized. If you know someone you feel that would be compatible and complement my endeavors to please Allah, please let me know.

• 51:47Courtney Brown?

  From here, Nadal would never receive another email back from Awlaki, but Nadal did continue emailing him. Eventually, after several ignored emails, Nadal wrote to him again, saying that he knows he's busy, but to keep his contact information for any future communication. And that was the end of their correspondence. So even though the FBI had intercepted their communication to each other, they didn't find the emails threatening, nor did they believe that they hinted at a future terrorist attack. So the emails were never shared with the Pentagon or anyone outside of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Sadly, if the task force would have interviewed Nadal's coworkers and superiors, they would

• 52:31Courtney Brown?

  have learned about his concerning behavior at the time, and they likely would have intervened, but that never happened. Now clearly, in hindsight, this was a huge mistake. And surprisingly, in May of 2009, Nadal was even promoted to major. Now that July, the army decided to send him to the Darnal Army Medical Center at Fort Hood. Before leaving, he was evaluated, and in his report... They stated that he had "had a keen interest in Islamic culture and faith, and his shown capacity to contribute to our psychological understanding of Islamic nationalism, and how it may relate to events of national security and army interest in the Middle East and Asia."

• 53:16Courtney Brown?

  So they viewed him and his Islamic interest as an asset. But he did have one negative mark on his report. It was a failed fitness test. But other than that, there was nothing that indicated Nadal was a ticking time bomb, at least not on paper. No one had any idea that Nadal had spent years plotting an attack of violence against the United States military.

• 53:41Colin Brown?

  Now, interestingly, after his promotion, in May of 2009, the FBI find Nadal's online personal blog where he wrote, "If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off-guard, that would be considered a strategic victory." They also saw that the person who posted it was named Nadal Hassan, but they couldn't confirm that he was the one who had posted it. So, once again, nothing ever came from it. Nadal was free to continue serving in the military. Then on July 15, 2009, he finally arrived in Fort Hood, Texas. Once there, Nadal moved into a rundown apartment that he found in the classified ads, called Casa del Norte. He paid his landlord $2,050 upfront,

• 54:24Colin Brown?

  covering his entire six-month lease. He also told the landlord that no one was ever allowed inside his apartment if he wasn't home. But from there, he settled into apartment number nine, a one-bedroom, 650-square-foot living space. Interestingly, he also didn't furnish his apartment. There was no couch, no dining room table, and no real bed. In fact, Nadal opted to sleep on an air mattress, and he ate his meals at a small fold-out card table that he had covered with a white tablecloth. In the middle of the room, he had a prayer rug and a small stack of shelves in the corner where he kept a few books. Nadal was living out a minimalistic life at his new apartment in Killeen, Texas. Now, the apartment was off-base, so he had to walk to work every day, which isn't really ideal.

• 55:09Colin Brown?

  And strangely enough, Nadal was making a good amount of money at the time, so he definitely could have afforded a nicer apartment. But at that time, he was donating about $20,000 to $30,000 a year to various Islamic charities.

• 55:23Colin Brown?

  And it's been reported that these charities were actually funding terrorist organizations. So, a large chunk of Nadal's salary was going towards that.

• 55:33Courtney Brown?

  As soon as he arrived in Texas, Nadal also started attending the Islamic Center of Colleen. He also made sure to arrange his work schedule so he could pray five times a day at the mosque. Now, there were not a lot of Muslims in Colleen, so the mosque was small. But Nadal did occasionally socialize with its members. However, they later reported that he was a very private person, which is pretty much how everyone described him. A few of his neighbors at Casa del Norte would sit outside the apartment in the evenings, socializing and drinking beer. And when they saw Nadal come home, they would try and strike up a conversation with him. But it was clear that he was very introverted.

• 56:16Courtney Brown?

  Soon enough, the residents at Casa del Norte began referring to him as "Number Nine", since that was his apartment number. Now, at work, Nadal was given a spacious office on the fifth floor in the Behavioral Health Department at Darnall Medical Center. But he would see his patients at the Resiliency and Restoration Center, which was a psychiatry clinic beside the hospital. According to "Death on Base", the R and R center at Fort Hood was the busiest outpatient psychiatric clinic in the world. And Nadal had the privilege of working there, which is a scary thought. Because a few weeks after arriving in Colleen, on August 1st, Nadal went to a store called Guns Galore,

• 57:00Courtney Brown?

  where he purchased an FN 5.7 semi-automatic handgun, magazines, and a lot of ammunition. Salesman Frederick Brannan would later say, "His initial interest was in the most high-tech handgun we had." I wasn't the salesman talking to him that day, but the guy who did showed him the gun and gave him some information on it. Major Hassan left and came back the next day. He had researched the gun on the internet. He wanted to buy that one, an FN57. We showed him how to load it, how to operate it, take it apart for cleaning, and so on. He videotaped everything on his cellphone so that he could review it later. I've never seen anyone do that before,

• 57:43Courtney Brown?

  but the impression that we had was that he was an army major and that he wasn't into any kind of sports like target shooting. This was something new, and he was interested in doing it all right. I don't want to use a term like "egghead", but when you have somebody who has absolutely no experience with something and they decide to get into it, they're immediately in over their head, and they do things to try and catch up. That's what he did, so we went along with it. End quote.

• 58:11Colin Brown?

  For the next few weeks, Nadal would go back to guns galore and purchase more boxes of ammunition, additional magazines, and a red and green laser sight for $275 apiece. Nadal specifically liked the fact that the FN57's expandable magazines could hold 20 to 30 bullets. When asked why he wanted the expandable magazine, Nadal simply said that he hated wasting his time reloading at the gun range. Next, Nadal purchased a membership at a local gun range called Stan's Shooting Range. A few times per week, Nadal would practice at the gun range, purchasing a few silhouette targets at a time and aiming at the torsos and heads. One of the co-owners, John Choats, noticed the accuracy of Nadal's headshots

• 58:54Colin Brown?

  and would later say that he hit between 80 to 90% of the shots.

• 58:59Courtney Brown?

  Soon enough, it seemed as if Nadal had a pretty good routine in Killeen, Texas. Every morning, he left his apartment around 5:00 a.m., went to the mosque for prayer, and then he grabbed breakfast at the local 7-Eleven convenience store before arriving for his shift at the Darnall Medical Center. But things would only get worse from here. On August 16th, his apartment complex informed him that someone had vandalized his Honda Civic. One of Nadal's neighbors, a man named John Van D. Walker, was walking outside of the apartment complex when he noticed Nadal's car with a bumper sticker that read, Allah is love.

• 59:40Courtney Brown?

  Apparently, the bumper sticker offended John, so he decided to rip it off the Civic, and then used his own car keys to scratch it up. When Nadal found out about this, he immediately called the Colleen Police Department, and ultimately, John Van Di Walker was arrested for criminal mischief. Now, this is clearly a hate crime and completely unacceptable. And sadly, this wouldn't be the only instance where Nadal was targeted. He also had his car keyed at work, and it was very clear that it was due to his ties with the Islamic community. Now, moving from Washington DC to a conservative town in Texas was an adjustment, to say the least. He was definitely not as accepted here.

• 1:00:25Courtney Brown?

  However, Nadal told colleagues of his that he forgave the people who did this to his car.

• 1:00:31Colin Brown?

  Surprisingly, Nadal's neighbors would say that although he was quiet and introverted, when he did speak, he was pleasant and friendly. One even went as far as to say that Nadal would have given anyone the shirt off of his back. Neighbor Willie Bell said, "The first day he moved in, he offered to give me a ride to work. He'd give you the shoes and shirt and pants off him if you needed it. Nicest guy you'd want to meet." But no one knew what was brewing beneath the surface. On the outside, Nadal Hassan was a very quiet and introverted man, who kept to himself. But on the inside, he was an angry, radicalized Muslim who had been inspired by extremist Anwar al-Awaki. During his time in Colleen, Nadal was trying to find his place in the Islamic community. But even the members at the mosque found him to be strange.

• 1:01:15Colin Brown?

  In September 2009, Nadal got lucky and befriended an 18-year-old Muslim convert named Dwayne Reasoner. Dwayne was known to frequent jihadist websites on the internet under the username "Ukulpukel." And for a few months, Nadal would serve as a type of mentor to Dwayne. Some would even consider them to be friends, which was pretty rare for Nadal. The two often ate dinner together at the Golden Corral Restaurant.

• 1:01:40Courtney Brown?

  But in October of 2009, Nadal started having more problems at work. At the R and R center, he treated someone with severe PTSD. So much so, the individual had to wear restraints. The protocol was that the patient had to keep the restraints on during their session, but for whatever reason, Nadal removed them. Soon enough, the patient started acting out, and a code green was alerted on the intercom system. When assistants arrived, they realized that Nadal had not followed instructions, nor had he performed any type of routine assessment on the patient. So later that day, his superiors confronted him. And Nadal's reaction was not what they expected.

• 1:02:24Courtney Brown?

  Apparently, he completely lost his temper. He started shouting at his superiors, telling them that if he was ever deployed overseas, everyone would regret it. It was becoming clear that Nadal was not cut out for this job. For months, soldiers would come into his office, sit down in a chair, and open up to him about the most horrible experiences you can imagine, often involving mass amounts of murder that they witnessed overseas, or even murders that they committed themselves. Now, normally, if you tell a psychiatrist that you've killed someone, they have to immediately report it to the police. But the military is different. It's the one place where you're allowed to kill people.

• 1:03:08Courtney Brown?

  So many of the patients that Nadal saw were haunted by memories of death and bloodshed. PTSD had completely taken over their lives, and they came to these therapy sessions to get help. After coming into his office, they would tell Nadal about how they were forced to murder Iraqi and Afghani soldiers. There were also graphic stories where civilians and even children were killed. These soldiers would tell Nadal about the images they saw while they were out there. And how the images played like a slideshow in their minds. They were vulnerable about what they were going through. But instead of keeping things professional like a psychiatrist is supposed to do, Nadal would become enraged.

• 1:03:51Courtney Brown?

  In fact, in one instance, he even sent an email to his superiors stating that some of his patients should be prosecuted for war crimes. Eventually, they responded to him and essentially told him that that wasn't going to happen. So from there, Nadal attempted to go up the chain of command. On October 23rd, 2009, he wrote to his superior, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ben Phillips, about the atrocities going on in the Middle East. The email read the following.

• 1:04:23Colin Brown?

  Good morning, my fellow colleagues. I had an issue that came up, and I thought the answer to my question would be helpful to all of us writing MEBs. During a number of encounters, I've come across situations where the soldier expresses guilt slash anger about events that can be quite disturbing. I happened to be at Mr. Manuel's legal consultant office with Dr. Shahan for another case. Since I was there, I asked about one of our soldiers complaining slash having guilt about our troops pouring 50 gallons of fuel in the Iraqi water supply as revenge for some adverse events that occurred. He stated that that was a war crime, and if I gave that information to him, he would have to report it. He subsequently gave me numbers to contact to pursue this. I called the DSJA Lieutenant Colonel Feba, who couldn't give me an answer at that particular time.

• 1:05:08Colin Brown?

  However, his eventual response will be beneficial to all of us writing MEBs or encountering similar situations. Nadal Hassan, all praises and thanks go to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of all the worlds. If you love murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories and the unknown, then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and the Paranormal Files. On The Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events, pedophile rings, government corruption, ritual sacrifice. No topic is untouched on this show.

• 1:05:52Colin Brown?

  Everything that we talk about on The Conspiracy Files is backed up with fact. I release reference sheets with every single episode that we do, so you guys know, everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real. It's a completely different type of show. Than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories. Instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories representing you people with facts, telling you the story, walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with Murder in America, and then letting the listener decide what they think. Anyways, you should definitely give it a listen. It's called The Conspiracy Files. The links are in the description of this show, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 1:06:37Colin Brown?

  And now let's get back to our story.

• 1:06:40Courtney Brown?

  Another email would be sent on November 2nd, where Nadal disclosed the name of the soldier who had reported the fuel incident, followed by two more reports of soldiers who had killed Iraqi civilians. And as you can imagine, when Nadal's superiors found out that he was going up the chain of command, they were furious, so much so, that during one of his therapy sessions, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips angrily marched into his office with deployment papers, and told Nadal that he would be deployed to Afghanistan in early December, with the Combat Stress Control Reserve Unit. Interestingly, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips even wrote Nadal a good review,

• 1:07:22Courtney Brown?

  so that his new commander in Afghanistan would be thrilled to have him there. The review read the following.

• 1:07:29Colin Brown?

  Major Hassan has been a significant addition to the psychiatric staff. He has taken the mission of MED and additional patient care. He has enthusiastically jumped into his role as provider and administrative physician. He is learning his new administrative duties and will be a significant contributor in the future. He has unlimited potential for advancement and leadership and should be groomed for those roles. Promote now and select for intermediate level education in residence. Below the statement it read, soldier is unavailable for signature.

• 1:07:59Courtney Brown?

  When Nadal learned that he was being deployed in the Middle East, he was not happy. Throughout his career, he had heard the horrors of what went on over there, and he didn't like the thought of being placed in a war zone. Some of his patients had even told him stories about how children would have bombs strapped to their bodies, and how the US soldiers there had no choice but to shoot the children dead to save themselves. And the thought of being surrounded in a place where Muslims were being unjustly killed was horrific, but even worse, his biggest fear was that he would have to fight against his own people. At least here in America, he didn't have to see it firsthand. So the news of this deployment was worst-case scenario for Nadal.

• 1:08:44Courtney Brown?

  Following this, he went to the mosque where he told his members to pray for him. According to his friend, Duane Reasoner, Nadal felt like he was supposed to quit, saying, "In the Quran, it says you're not supposed to have alliances with Jews or Christians, and if you were killed in the military fighting against Muslims, you will go to hell." However, there was nothing he could do to change their minds. His deployment was already set in stone. But for Nadal, this was a sign from God. He had been thinking about carrying out an attack on the US military for quite some time now, and in his mind, this was confirmation. But throughout the next few weeks, he struggled on the details of the attack.

• 1:09:29Courtney Brown?

  He went back and forth trying to figure out if he should attack the soldiers at Fort Hood, or if he should just wait until he got to Afghanistan.

• 1:09:38Colin Brown?

  It's around this time when Nadal went to a strip club called Stars, and while there, he struck up a conversation with his favorite stripper named Paige. He talked with her about his deployment and how unhappy he was about it. Then, during a private nude dance with her in the VIP room, he started asking Paige a bunch of questions like, "Why did she become a stripper? Did she have any children? Did she enjoy the lifestyle?" Paige would later say that Nadal seemed to prefer blonde women, and "He wasn't too loud like some of our customers," or "Sleazy." "He didn't try to take us home," and he was respectful. It was also around this time when Nadal sent a cryptic email to his brother. In it, he gave him specific instructions on what to do with his money and property in the event he was killed in the Middle East.

• 1:10:21Colin Brown?

  The email read, "In the event that I am incapacitated or not able to use my money slash property, i.e. captured by the enemy, please donate my money slash property to the poor as soon as possible. Use your judgment, but you know I'm trying to maximize my rewards. If I happen to die, obviously split it according to the Islamic inheritance law and give the maximum allowable amount to a charity, Sadaka Jiraiya, etc. I think it's one-third of my wealth. I'm not aware of any psychiatrists that have died in Iraq slash Afghanistan by enemy fire. However, it's always good to be prepared."

• 1:10:56Courtney Brown?

  Nadal was supposed to leave for Virginia to visit his family on November 2nd, but he opted to stay in Colleen. While there, he sent several more emails about wanting to prosecute his patients for war crimes. He also used this opportunity to continue planning his attack. Now, something that soldiers have to do before getting deployed is the Soldier Readiness Program, which essentially ensures that they are ready for deployment. Typically, soldiers will go to an area on base called the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. At this center, they will make sure your life insurance is all set up, just in case anything happens to you. They'll check to make sure you're medically ready by giving you physicals, dental and

• 1:11:39Courtney Brown?

  eye exams, and even psychiatric exams to make sure you're mentally ready. So in the weeks before Nadal's set deployment, he spent a lot of time at Fort Hood Soldier Readiness Processing Center. When he would go, he would sit in the waiting room, observing his surroundings. Many of these soldiers sitting amongst him were also being deployed to the Middle East. These were the very soldiers who would be fighting against his own people. As he sat there, taking it all in, Nadal couldn't help but think about how this would be the perfect place to carry out his attack. Not only was the room full of unsuspecting soldiers, but there was also a rule where everyone inside was prohibited from carrying weapons.

• 1:12:24Courtney Brown?

  So as he sat in the waiting room, Nadal studied the layout. He replayed the future attack in his head, over and over again. And after a while, he was fully prepared to carry it out. Which brings us to November 3rd. A November 3rd... Nadal went about his normal routine. He left his apartment at 5:00 a.m. and went to the mosque for morning prayer. He then stopped at the 7-Eleven convenience store and ordered his usual cup of coffee and hash browns. Nadal was a regular here, and although he was usually very quiet and reserved, the owner couldn't help but notice how talkative Nadal had been recently. For the past few weeks, he would come in and start talking to him about his deployment.

• 1:13:09Courtney Brown?

  He would also talk about his frustrations with not being able to find a wife. And of course, he also talked a lot about Islam. After several weeks of these conversations, the owner said that he started excusing himself to the back room anytime he saw Nadal walk into the store. But on this day, November 3rd, after leaving the 7-Eleven, Nadal went to Stan's Shooting Range and fired off 200 rounds from his gun into the silhouette targets. After that, he went to Radio Shack to get extra batteries for his red and green laser sights. To finish out his day, he stopped by the local Bank of America branch and closed his safe deposit box.

• 1:13:52Courtney Brown?

  While there, he also turned to the bank teller and said, quote, "You'll never see me again."

• 1:13:58Colin Brown?

  Later that evening, Nadal prayed at the mosque and then asked his friend Dwayne Reasoner to accompany him to a fish dinner at the Golden Corral. Like we mentioned, the two had grown close over the last few months and had talked a lot about their religion. However, during this dinner, Nadal started lecturing Dwayne, telling him to never join the military. Then, once dinner was over, both Nadal and Dwayne went back to Apartment 9. The manager of Nadal's apartment, Alice Thompson, would later say that when she saw that Nadal had a visitor, she was surprised. Nadal never had any guests come to visit him. Early the next morning, on November 4th, Nadal woke up early and started giving his neighbors all of his belongings.

• 1:14:38Colin Brown?

  One neighbor named Patricia Villa was given bags of frozen vegetables, boxes of frozen veggie burgers, clothes for her husband, and of course, a copy of the Quran. Nadal was also seen that morning throwing bags of stuff into the apartment's dumpster. Now, Nadal didn't have a lot of stuff to begin with, but he was fully clearing out his apartment. When his neighbors asked why he was getting rid of everything, he told them that he was leaving for Afghanistan soon, and he wouldn't need it. Later that night, he even used a paper shredder to destroy all of his important documents, including his medical school diploma.

• 1:15:11Courtney Brown?

  On the morning of November 5th, Nadal drove himself to the mosque for morning prayer, where he said goodbye to all of the members. He told everyone there that he was going home. No one knew exactly what he meant by this, but I'm assuming they thought he was leaving to visit family for the holidays. But from there, Nadal made his usual stop to the 7-Eleven to get coffee and hash browns. The workers said he was still dressed in his prayer attire, a long white robe, a prayer cap, and white pants. According to the book Death on Base, on the way out of the convenience store, he smiled at a customer and told them that something big was about to happen at Fort Hood, and to quote, "be prepared."

• 1:15:56Courtney Brown?

  After leaving the 7-Eleven, Nadal drove back to his apartment to throw out more items. He also knocked on the apartment door of Patricia Villa's. When she answered, she was surprised to see him. He had already given her a bunch of stuff the day before, but this time, he handed her $60 and asked if she could clean his apartment for him. He told her that he wouldn't be coming back, and that he didn't have time to clean it himself. Patricia would later say that Nadal was pleasant and friendly. He even accepted two tamales from her when he learned that they contained no meat. But from there, at around 10 a.m., Nadal drove his Honda Civic

• 1:16:38Courtney Brown?

  out of the Casa del Norte parking lot for the very last time.

• 1:16:43Colin Brown?

  Once on the road, Nadal made his way to the Darnall Medical Center to pick up his deployment paperwork. But as we already know, he had no plans on actually going to the Middle East. It's suspected that the real reason he went by the office that day was to see Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips, the one who made the decision to send him to Afghanistan. However, to Nadal's dismay, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips wasn't there. He had taken a vacation and wouldn't be back until the following week. Nadal's colleagues said that when he heard this information, he was furious, demanding to know where Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips was located. And from here, he quickly marched over to his office, sat down at his desk, and left Phillips a voicemail.

• 1:17:24Colin Brown?

  And while he waited for a call back, Nadal decided to browse the internet for jihadist articles. It seems as if he was looking for an inspiration.

• 1:17:34Courtney Brown?

  After a few minutes, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips actually called him back. When Nadal answered the phone, he started asking Phillips where he was located. He also wanted to know where his deployment paperwork was. Phillips told Nadal that he was in Arizona, but that his paperwork was all squared away, and that he had nothing to worry about. But Nadal didn't seem satisfied, and he was really upset that Phillips wasn't at the base. Lieutenant Colonel Ben Phillips didn't understand why Nadal was so angry, but in just a few short hours, he would learn why. Now, it's never been confirmed that Phillips was one of Nadal's intended targets that day, but it's safe to say that he was.

• 1:18:18Courtney Brown?

  For months, Nadal had grown to hate him. He was the very reason that Nadal was being deployed in the Middle East. But on this day, following their phone call, Nadal started pacing up and down the hallways of the office. He even glared at his coworkers, who were sitting in the small kitchenette. They could tell that Nadal was angry. He was clearly on edge. But from there, he left the building and went back to the mosque for his afternoon prayers. And as he left the mosque that day, Nadal seemed more calm and collected, more determined. After that, he went back into his office and individually wrapped thirty loaded magazines

• 1:18:59Courtney Brown?

  into paper towels before stuffing them into his shirt pockets. He did this so that the clinking sounds wouldn't alert anyone of his plans. From there, he stuffed a .357 handgun into the front pocket of his army combat uniform, and he put the FN57 semi-automatic pistol into the waistband of his pants. Once he was fully armed, Nadal drove his Honda Civic to the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, and he parked right outside of the building. Before getting out of the car, he put his earplugs in to protect his ears from the monstrous gunshots he was about to hear. As he walked up to the building, he put his cellphone up to his ear, pretending to be

• 1:19:43Courtney Brown?

  on the phone so that no one would try and talk to him. Nadal Hassan was on a mission to commit a terrorist attack against the United States military, and in just a few seconds, he would start the mass shooting that would kill thirteen soldiers and injure a dozen more, all in the name of his religion.

• 1:20:08Colin Brown?

  Hey, everybody. It's Colin here. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. We are really going to be exploring Fort Hood in depth over the next month or so. We are doing episodes on another infamous true crime case that occurred there and a string of bizarre accidents and suicides and deaths that can be attributed to the fort. There's definitely something going on there. I have my theories, but I'm gonna hold those close to my chest for now. If you like the show and you wanna hear part two, go sign up for our Patreon because part two is gonna be posted immediately. If you haven't joined us on Patreon yet, I highly suggest that you do if you want to help support the show. On Patreon, we have every single episode of the show early and ad-free, so you get early access to the episodes with none of those pesky ads that

• 1:20:53Colin Brown?

  people don't seem to like. And in addition, there's tons of bonus content on there, full-length episodes of Murder in America, featuring both Courtney and I, exactly like the ones that are on our main feed. So if you sign up today, you can instantly get access to the over 100 bonus episodes that are there on the Patreon. Thank you to everybody that's joined us on there. We really appreciate the support. And as always, don't forget to leave us a five-star review wherever you're listening to this podcast, and follow us on Instagram @murderinamerica. Anyways, y'all, Courtney and I love everybody so much, and we're so thankful to have everybody out there listening to the show. That's it for this week, and I'll catch you on the next one.

• 1:21:48Speaker 06

  Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website, to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and Allbirds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into...

• 1:22:12Speaker 06

  Sign up for your $1 per month trial at spotify.com/specialoffer.

• 1:22:16Speaker 07

  Hey, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's premium wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having. No, it's not. It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a try at mintmobile.com/switch.

• 1:22:39Speaker 08

  Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first 3 months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See MintMobile.com.

• 1:22:46Speaker 01

  The real cost of a break-in isn't your valuables. It's the feeling that your home stopped being safe. SimpliSafe keeps danger away from your family with 3 layers of protection. 1. Smart AI cameras and live US-based agents help stop intruders before they break in. 2. We sound the alarm at points of entry. 3. Our agents request emergency response. Plans starting around $1 a day. Right now, get 70% off your new system with professional monitoring at simplisafe.com/spotify. Outdoor deterrence plans start at $49.99 a month. Visit simplisafe.com/licenses for alarm license information.