FBI Says Fort Hood Shootings Are Connected with Terrorists

President Barack Obama and the first lady are going to visit to Killeen, Texas, to meet with those most affected by the Fort Hood shootings.

Photo: FBI Says Fort Hood Shootings Are Connected with Terrorists

The first couple will talk privately with families of those killed and with wounded soldiers and their families. Obama will then address the Fort Hood community during a memorial service.

The president and first lady will then meet with wounded soldiers at Darnall Army Medical Center before flying back to Washington, The Associated Press reports.

It was also reported, the Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at Fort Hood reportedly warned senior Army physicians in 2007 that the military should allow Muslim soldiers be released as conscientious objectors instead of fighting in wars to avoid "adverse events."

According to The Washington Post, Major Nidal Malik Hasan was supposed to make a presentation on a medical topic during his senior year as a psychiatric resident at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Instead, Hasan lectured his supervisors and two dozen mental health staff members on Islam, homicide bombings and threats the military could encounter from Muslims conflicted about fighting against other Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A source who attended the presentation said, "It was really strange. The senior doctors looked really upset," FOXNews reports.

The officials said FBI Director Robert Mueller ordered an internal investigation into how the information on Hasan was handled by the Joint Terrorism Task Forces, an FBI-led multiagency team that includes investigators from the Defense Department and other agencies. The investigation began Friday.

The officials also said that Hasan's contact with an open sympathizer of al-Qaeda did not prevent him passing an FBI background check when he bought one of his handguns in August that was used in the shooting. Anyone who is part of an ongoing FBI probe is not eligible to purchase a handgun. Because Hasan was not a target of an investigation, he passed the FBI check, the officials said.

The officials also said Hasan will be prosecuted in a military court because he is a member of the armed services and the crime was committed on a military base. Hasan, who is now conscious, met with his lawyer Monday, USA Today reports.