The Fort Hood jury spent more than three hours deliberating Thursday without reaching a verdict in the 2009 shooting.
During final arguments, Major Nidal Hasan did not offer any closing statements in his own defense. Prosecutors walked the jury through the evidence, arguing the shooting was not a coincidence.
They told jurors Hasan intended to kill soldiers who were going to deploy to Afghanistan with him. Fort Hood Public Affairs Spokesman Tom Rheinlander said the government alleged two motives by Hasan for the shooting.
He said, "First, that the accused did not want to deploy. If made to deploy, he stated, 'they will pay.'" As for the second motive, Rheinlander added. "Hasan came to believe he possessed a jihad duty to kill as many soldiers as he could."
Late Thursday afternoon, the jury asked to review testimony from Fort Hood Police Sergeant Mark Todd. He is the officer who shot Hasan, ending the rampage that left 13 people dead and wounded 32 others.
The jury has heard from nearly ninety witnesses, and their deliberations will be a painstaking process. News Channel 25 Military Law Analyst, Steve Walden, explained the jury would take a vote on each of the charges related to individual victims and come to a conclusion.
But if they are not unanimous on the pre-meditated murder charge, he says, "They'll vote accordingly until they have at least the proportionate number that they need to have a finding of guilt."
Jurors will resume their deliberations Friday morning. Hasan could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
