No verdict yet in Fort Hood shooting rampage

Associated Press

FORT HOOD, Texas

The Army psychiatrist on trial for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood passed on his final chance to address jurors before they started deliberating Thursday, even after prosecutors insisted they hand down a verdict that would allow the death penalty.

Maj. Nidal Hasan is acting as his own attorney but declined to plead his case after prosecutors finished their closing argument. When the judge told Hasan he could begin, he said: “The defense chooses not to make a closing statement.”

The Army psychiatrist is facing numerous counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder for the attack, which killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others at the sprawling Army post in central Texas on Nov. 5, 2009.

It was the deadliest mass shooting ever on a U.S. military base.

Prosecutors laid out a detailed road map of their case during their closing argument, saying there was no question that Hasan planned and carried out the attack.

Jurors began deliberating Thursday afternoon. After about three hours, they asked if they could review the testimony of Sgt. Mark Todd, the Fort Hood police officer who ended the rampage by shooting the gunman.

The judge agreed to the review, then she allowed jurors to leave for the evening. Deliberations are scheduled to resume this morning.