Local soldier helped wounded get to hospital

SANTA FE — The parents of a Fort Hood soldier were relieved the first word they got about the mass killings at the U.S. Army base near Killeen was their son was OK.

Were it not for a mended broken foot, however, Pvt. James Hunt, who grew up in Santa Fe, might have been in the line of fire, his father said.

A soldier opened fire at Fort Hood on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 11 people dead and 31 wounded.

Authorities said the gunman was shot but was not killed. Two other soldiers suspected in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base were also apprehended, officials said.

Tom Hunt, himself a former Army sergeant who was stationed at Fort Hood, said his son called about an hour after the shooting to tell him he was safe.

James Hunt, 27, serving with the 510th Combat Engineers, was with his platoon at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed undergo medical screening. He is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in January.

But because James had broken his foot several weeks ago, he was sent outside and told to get some extra paperwork that would clear him for deployment. James was waiting in the parking lot of the center when the shooting started, his father said.

"Everybody started running and shouting, and he saw the wounded come out," Tom Hunt said. "He didn’t hear the shooting, but he said it was ‘a bloody mess.’"

Hunt said his son told him he loaded up many of the wounded and drove them to the hospital. The wounded relayed what they saw inside when the shooting happened.

"They were telling him that one guy was shouting something in Arabic while he was shooting," Tom Hunt said. "He couldn’t say much more than that."

Shiela Hunt’s first word about the shooting came from her husband, who called to tell her he had just spoken with their son and that he was all right.

"It was very comforting to know he was OK," she said. "I can’t imagine going three hours and not knowing if he was alive or injured or..."

Tom Hunt also was relieved his son was not injured.

"It’s hell to see your friends and buddies killed before you go," Tom said. "It’s got to be tough."

Shiela Hunt said her prayers were with those wounded or killed as well as with her son.

"I feel for him because of what he is having to face," she said. "I know he was prepared to see that sort of thing in Afghanistan. I don’t think anybody thought they would see it on the base.

"Instead of putting him on the (church) prayer list in January, I think I’ll put him on it now."

This story was brought to you thanks to our partnership with The Galveston County Daily News.