BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV — Fort Hood shooting survivors share their haunting memories 16 years after the attack that killed 13 people, while fighting for terrorism classification.
- 16 years later, survivors still haunted: Dr. Kathy Platoni and Dr. Alan Hopewell share their traumatic memories from November 5, 2009, when Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and injured 32 others at Fort Hood.
- Fighting for terrorism classification: Survivors continue battling to reclassify the massacre from "workplace violence" to an "act of terrorism" to secure proper benefits for the wounded and families of the fallen.
- Dr. Platoni wears a hero bracelet with the names of her fallen unit members - Major Eduardo Caraveo, Captain John Gaffaney, and Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger - that she never takes off.
- Recognition for heroism: Dr. Hopewell received the Meritorious Service Medal for helping keep at least 8 people safe during the attack, while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently committed to ensuring a death penalty for Hasan.
You can watch the full video here:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's been 16 years since the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, and survivors are still fighting for recognition and benefits while carrying the weight of that horrific day.
On November 5, 2009, former Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on fellow soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood, killing 13 people and injuring 32 others. The attack left dozens haunted by survivor's guilt and terrifying moments they will never forget.
Dr. Kathy Platoni, now a retired Army colonel, was on post that day when her Army brothers and sisters were attacked by Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan.
"At 1:32 p.m. I heard a civilian employee screaming, they're shooting, they're shooting in the other building," Platoni said.
Platoni tried desperately to save lives during the chaos.
"Sean primarily being a nurse practitioner, tried desperately to save Captain Gaffaney's life while I did whatever I could and begged him not to go and he died right there in front of us," she said.
Dr. Alan Hopewell worked alongside Hasan and tells me that as much as he tries to forget about that day, he can never forget the moment he watched Hasan walk up to the building he and his colleagues were in.
"He's yelling something about Allah opened the door, Allah help me open the door," Hopewell said, "We pretty much thought he was going to shoot the door and come in and start shooting us and it was really terrifying."
"We couldn't see what was going on and we didn't know, but we knew it was really bad," Hopewell said.
After the shooting slowed, Hopewell checked the outside of his building.
"There were bodies everywhere," he said.
To honor her brothers and sisters, Platoni wears a hero bracelet that she never takes off. On it are the names of those in her unit who lost their lives: Major Eduardo Caraveo, Captain John Gaffaney, and Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger, Captain Russell Seager, LT. Colonel Juanita Warman
"Watching a friend die, it's a horrible thing," she said.
To this day, the shooting is classified as workplace violence, but survivors have been fighting for years to reclassify the massacre as an act of terrorism.
"It's something that has marked our lives for every day, made so much worse by the fact that the government continues to deny benefits to the wounded and the families of the fallen because it is not an act of domestic terrorism," Platoni said.
Hopewell received the Meritorious Service Medal for his actions during the shooting, where he helped keep at least 8 people safe. U.S War Secretary Pete Hegseth recently said he is committed to ensuring a death penalty for Hasan.
A memorial at Fort Hood honors the 13 people killed in the attack, serving as a reminder of the lives lost and the survivors who continue to carry the weight of that tragic day.
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