DOTHAN, Ala. -- U.S. flags and stars adorn the porch and front door of a local family affected by a national tragedy at an Army post in Texas.
Lt. Col. Cynthia Bachus of the Alabama National Guard said Tricia Royer, of Dothan, traveled Thursday to be near her husband, Maj. Randy Royer, in Fort Hood, Texas, after he was injured in a massacre that left 13 dead and 31 others injured. Maj. Nidal Malike Hasan has been named as the gunman.
Bachus said Royer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds, but she did not know the full extent of his injuries.
Royer was among 270 soldiers with the 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command of Birmingham who went to Fort Hood this week in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan.
While the Dothan Eagle had yet to confirm on Friday where Royer was located at the time of the shootings, his neighbor of five years, Don Carter, said he was certain Royer was somewhere attempting to help others.
“Knowing Randy, he was probably trying to do everything he could to stop the gunman. He is a fine man who was concerned and very close to his family. Very dependable,” Carter said.
“This neighborhood is very close-knit, so we knew to look out for his family. They need to know they are not alone in this and are in all our thoughts and prayers.”
Tate Hoxworth, of Michelin North America, said in a statement that Royer is a 20-year-employee of the local plant.
“Our thoughts are with him, his family and all of those affected by this incident. We have offered our full support to our colleague and his family,” the statement read.
Bachus, who had spoken to Tricia Royer, said Tricia requested privacy as she focused on her husband and his recovery.
Carter, who was also a guardsman, said he was relieved his neighbor was only injured, but that he was not shocked at Thursday’s events.
“You would have never imagined something like this happening here, especially on a military base and especially before their deployment. But I think it’s just a sign of the times. There are a lot of crazy people in this world,” he said.
According to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, 27 remained hospitalized on Friday morning as a result of Thursday’s shootings. Hasan was injured but still alive and in stable condition, according to the office.
According to the state National Guard, the 135th’s guardsmen are from all over Alabama and only half of them still expected to deploy this year.
Ebony Horton is a staff writer for the Dothan Eagle. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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