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Fort Hood soldier shoots four and himself, police say
From: Army Times
Fort Hood has been rocked by an apparent murder-suicide as a soldier fatally shot himself and three others and wounded another person in Killeen, Texas, police say.
Ata-se Giffa, 30, is suspected of killing neighbors Lydia Farina, 31, and Larry Guzman, 40, before turning a weapon on his wife, Dawn Giffa, 28, and himself Sunday night, according to the Killeen Police Department.
A fifth victim, a 41-year-old woman who police have not yet identified, was transported to Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, and is listed in serious condition.
Fort Hood officials identified the suspect as Spc. Ata-Se Giffa, an automated logistics specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood since January 2014.
According to her Facebook page, Dawn Giffa was studying to be a pharmacy technician at Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ontario, and the mother of a 3-year-old son who has since been taken to relatives in Canada.
Officers responded to a 911 domestic disturbance report at 10:26 p.m. Sunday night in the 1700 block of Godman Street in Killeen.
Upon arrival, they found Farina and Guzman dead from gunshot wounds, and were informed by witnesses that an armed man had fled with his wife to their home, according to police officials.
Police heard gunshots from the residence and deployed a Tactical Response Team, which attempted to communicate with Ata-Se and Dawn Giffa.
At approximately 12:30 a.m., after the team received no response, the team entered the home and found Ata-se Giffa had apparently shot his wife and then himself.
Ata-Se Giffa deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from October 2010 to October 2011 after entering active duty in August 2009, according to Fort Hood officials.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Killeen Police Department and the Army's Criminal Investigations Division.
This is the second apparent murder-suicide by a Fort Hood soldier thus far in 2015 in Killeen.
In January, Franklin Rafael Aguilar, 39, shot and killed Christina Yvette McDaniel, 31, before taking his own life.
Fort Hood has suffered a series of high-profile multiple shootings in recent years.
In April 2014, Spc. Ivan Lopez-Lopez shot 15 soldiers on Fort Hood, killing three, before shooting himself.
In 2009, 13 people were killed and more than 30 injured during a mass shooting by Nidal Hasan, an Army major and psychiatrist at the time. Hasan was convicted of premeditated murder in August 2013.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/crime/2015/02/24/ata-se-giffa-shooting-fort-hood/23963507/
From: Army Times
Fort Hood has been rocked by an apparent murder-suicide as a soldier fatally shot himself and three others and wounded another person in Killeen, Texas, police say.
Ata-se Giffa, 30, is suspected of killing neighbors Lydia Farina, 31, and Larry Guzman, 40, before turning a weapon on his wife, Dawn Giffa, 28, and himself Sunday night, according to the Killeen Police Department.
A fifth victim, a 41-year-old woman who police have not yet identified, was transported to Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, and is listed in serious condition.
Fort Hood officials identified the suspect as Spc. Ata-Se Giffa, an automated logistics specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood since January 2014.
According to her Facebook page, Dawn Giffa was studying to be a pharmacy technician at Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ontario, and the mother of a 3-year-old son who has since been taken to relatives in Canada.
Officers responded to a 911 domestic disturbance report at 10:26 p.m. Sunday night in the 1700 block of Godman Street in Killeen.
Upon arrival, they found Farina and Guzman dead from gunshot wounds, and were informed by witnesses that an armed man had fled with his wife to their home, according to police officials.
Police heard gunshots from the residence and deployed a Tactical Response Team, which attempted to communicate with Ata-Se and Dawn Giffa.
At approximately 12:30 a.m., after the team received no response, the team entered the home and found Ata-se Giffa had apparently shot his wife and then himself.
Ata-Se Giffa deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from October 2010 to October 2011 after entering active duty in August 2009, according to Fort Hood officials.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Killeen Police Department and the Army's Criminal Investigations Division.
This is the second apparent murder-suicide by a Fort Hood soldier thus far in 2015 in Killeen.
In January, Franklin Rafael Aguilar, 39, shot and killed Christina Yvette McDaniel, 31, before taking his own life.
Fort Hood has suffered a series of high-profile multiple shootings in recent years.
In April 2014, Spc. Ivan Lopez-Lopez shot 15 soldiers on Fort Hood, killing three, before shooting himself.
In 2009, 13 people were killed and more than 30 injured during a mass shooting by Nidal Hasan, an Army major and psychiatrist at the time. Hasan was convicted of premeditated murder in August 2013.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/crime/2015/02/24/ata-se-giffa-shooting-fort-hood/23963507/
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Fort Cavazos
Fort Cavazos
Posted 10 y ago
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I think that we, as NCOs need to remind Soldiers that if they are feeling homicidal, suicidal, angry, or rage, they should feel able to come to their leadership. We can be safety valves and provide advice in these cases. It goes to us building effective trust with the Soldiers and knowing them.
I am not trying to hit on this Soldier's leadership. I am just doing a PSA for those of us in the NCO Corps.
I am not trying to hit on this Soldier's leadership. I am just doing a PSA for those of us in the NCO Corps.
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SFC Dagmar Riley
Very sad. The thing I found about FT. Hood is the push to take care of the lower enlisted but if a Junior or Senior NCO has a problem the motto was (not sure if it still exists; after 2004 had no close contact) suck it up soldier and thrive on, telling you that you can’t have a problem because you’re to set the example of being a strong leader not a whimp. Had heard these words plenty of times back then and the officers had nobody to turn to for help because most at least the junior ones were to worried about repercussions; so most people kept their feelings inside. This isn’t what I thought happened but actually witnessed and had some I was friends with confide in me after my retirement. I hope things improved from the top down, because it’s difficult to be an effective leader when you carry so much by yourself on your own shoulders.
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) Are you conducting Risk Assessments per SM? Under LTG Lynch, we briefed the status of our high risk Soldier's weekly. At the BDE level we briefed our action plan to support the SM and the family.
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It is always sad when this happens. Hopefully, they will find out the "why" sooner rather than later.
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This is terrible to read about. I will look for the follow-up reporting on what some of the reasons may have been behind his actions. My heart goes out to the loved ones of all those impacted by this.
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SGM Erik Marquez
About the only follow up I can find..
Keeping in mind this content is clearly provided by the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the case against the Army.
And though I can see some of it being possible or likely, some of it is exaggeration or untrue..and for me it taints the entire "story"
https://www.courthousenews.com/army-sued-for-deadly-rampage-at-fort-hood/
Keeping in mind this content is clearly provided by the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the case against the Army.
And though I can see some of it being possible or likely, some of it is exaggeration or untrue..and for me it taints the entire "story"
https://www.courthousenews.com/army-sued-for-deadly-rampage-at-fort-hood/
Army Sued for Deadly Rampage at Fort Hood
Surviving family members of a 2015 shooting rampage outside Fort Hood say the Army failed to protect a battered spouse and her neighbors from her abusive husband, who should not have been able to o…
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SGM Erik Marquez
The Tort lawyer who is representing the clients in this case shows it as a current and ongoing case pending outcome on his website
Kristensen, et al. v. United States of America, Department of the Army
Kristensen, et al. v. United States of America, Department of the Army
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SGM Erik Marquez
Here is the complaint CIVIL ACTION NO: 17-cv-126-LY submitted https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Fort-Hood.pdf
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