The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.

The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, an eight-year veteran from Virginia.

Hasan apparently was dressed in a military uniform when he sprayed bullets inside a crowded processing center for soldiers returning or about to be sent overseas.

As the shooting unfolded, military police and civilian officers of the Department of the Army responded and returned the gunman's fire. Hasan was shot by a first-responder, who was herself wounded in the exchange.