On Nov. 5 the nation was shocked to hear of a tragedy on our own soil. In Ft. Hood Texas, U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hassan began firing upon his fellow soldiers in the Ft. Hood soldier readiness complex, killing 13 and wounding 30 others. The effects of the shooting were felt nationwide, including on our campus.

Less than 160 miles away in San Antonio, UTSA students from Ft. Hood and the surrounding city of Killeen tried to make sense of what was happening.

 “I was in shock and kept worrying about the safety of my loved ones and soldiers,”  sophomore Sarah Richards, whose parents and brother live in Killeen, said. “I immediately called my mother. She was supposed to be on base that day.”

The worry and uneasiness felt by Richards was common among thousands. Ft. Hood is one of the largest military bases in the world, and is home to 33,711 people, 5,819 households, and 5,679 families, as of the last census. Nearly everyone who is in, has been, or knows someone in the military has some sort of connection to Ft. Hood, including several on our own campus.

“My father is a gym manager and works on post 8-5 everyday. Upon hearing about the shootings he was my first concern”  sophomore Desiree Johnson said. “It's weird watching the news and reporters and knowing that is my home, where I grew up, and that something as tragic as this could happen to our soldiers.”

Others echoed the sentiment of shock that something so tragic could happen so close to home.

“My house is right outside the fort hood gates, so for me the situation was a little scary,”  UTSA Junior Aaron Valencia said. “It's hard to believe that something like that can happen all of a sudden.

“I called a friend in the military to make sure that he was fine. He could not talk on the phone, so he just texted me telling me everything is okay.”

“The whole time I was wondering how something so tragic could happen around my home, and especially on an army base,”  sophomore Christina Perez said.

 “When I first heard about the shooting I thought of my family. I was praying and hoping they were okay. Since Killeen/Ft Hood is my hometown, I was scared for my friends and their families there.”

As news of the tragedy spread on that day and the aftermath began, the concern for friends and family grew.

“I wasn't too worried about it at first, but then they locked everything down. Both my mom and dad work on base,” junior Tierra Vines recounts of her worry. “You can't help but worry that one of yours might have been a victim.”

UTSA is just one of many places making sense of the tragedy, but even in the face of the horrible events people came together for comfort and support.