Authorities say one of the officers who has been hailed as a hero in the Fort Hood massacre has had a second surgery and is grateful for all the good wishes.
Sgt. Kimberly Munley was injured during the shooting rampage that she has been credited with helping to end. A doctor said earlier that Munley had a gunshot wound that had hit an artery.
Fort Hood spokesman Col. John Rossi said Munley was in good condition and read a statement on her behalf at a news conference Saturday. He said she and her family were thankful for all the support and prayers that have come their way since the story of her actions emerged.
THE SHOOTING
Munley, a 34-year-old wife and mother, and her partner responded within three minutes of the reported gunfire and shot the alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, four times despite being shot herself, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said.
"It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer," he said.
After Munley began firing, Hasan spun around and charged at her with a gun in each hand, hitting her in the thighs and wrist, her boss, Chuck Medley, told The Associated Press.
The shootings took place at about 1:30 p.m. at the post's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers begin the process of vaccinations and other preparation prior to deployment. A commencement ceremony was under way in the center's auditorium.
"This is a kick in the gut, not only for the Fort Hood community, but also for our entire Army," Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey said Friday afternoon.
Munley, who is also a firearms instructor, is a member of Fort Hood's Special Reaction Team. She trained on "active shooter" scenarios after the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech University.
The SRC isn't on Munley's regular beat, but she and her partner, Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, were in the area because her patrol car needed repairs.
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"She probably saved a lot of lives with her actions," Casey said.
Munley's Twitter page, which amassed a long list of well wishes and more than 2,000 followers Friday, provided a revealing glimpse of her personality.
"'I live a good life. ... a hard one, but I go to sleep peacefully @ night knowing that I may have made a difference in someone's life," her bio said.
In a July 6 post, the most recent out of three total, Munley tweeted she "is still recovering from a long night of work from Saturday!"
In a May 2 post, she mentioned her 3-year-old daughter, calling herself "the paranoid OCD parent and praying that the new "flu" stays FAR away from Jayden!!!"
Munley also faced growing stardom on Facebook, where more than 4,000 Facebook members had joined the Sgt. Kimberly Munley: A Real American Hero! fan page Friday afternoon.
"Thank you for being the BEST in a horrible situation," one person posted. "You are truly an inspiration to all women! Bravo!"
Her family said they were not surprised to learn about her heroic actions.
Her father, former Carolina Beach Mayor Dennis Barbour, said he was making plans to travel to Fort Hood to see his daughter on Friday, the Starnewsonline.com reported.
“We're just so grateful and thankful to the Lord that she's safe,” her stepmother, Wanda Barbour, told Starnewsonline. “Our hearts just ache for the loss of others, too, and hers, too. She's still upset about that.”
Lita Beck contributed to this report.
