Update:
https://twitter.com/#!/PhillipCoulter/status/179368116747386880
Here’s the report from MSNBC:
U.S. officials have said the soldier acted alone, leaving his base in southern Afghanistan and opening fire on sleeping families. After the massacre, he went back to his base and turned himself in, officials said.
The military will not identify the soldier until charges are filed, Pentagon spokesman William Speaks told msnbc.com Monday. The suspect remains in Afghanistan while the attack is being investigated.
According to military officials, the soldier will be tried within the military justice system, not turned over to Afghan authorities for trial, rebuffing a call from Afghan lawmakers to use their courts.
The original story:
A U.S. soldier has reportedly killed 16 civilians in Afghanistan after suffering a supposed mental breakdown. He left his military base, entered homes and started opening fire on children, women and everything in sight.
“This is a deeply regrettable incident and we extend our thoughts and concerns to the families involved,” a statement from ISAF said.
https://twitter.com/#!/PeterRyan300/status/178810867230580737
The suspect is a U.S. Army Sergeant attached to a unit out of Fort Lewis in Washington state. He apparently walked a mile from his base to the Panjwai district of Kandahar and killed at least 16 civilians there, 9 of which were children. The suspect then set the bodies on fire.
https://twitter.com/#!/robertloerzel/status/178974667929948160
AP source: Afghanistan suspect from Wash. state: http://t.co/U5Y0LEvH
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) March 11, 2012
The Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement, as did the U.S. Army.
https://twitter.com/#!/thejointstaff/status/178957441336213504
https://twitter.com/#!/USArmy/status/178969333853208576
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President Obama also called President Karzai to express “his shock and sadness”.
https://twitter.com/#!/BBCBreaking/status/178926398705119233
Reaction on Twitter to the reports has been divided between those expressing their sympathy and anger and those making political statements.
https://twitter.com/#!/PJCrowley/status/178961414369718273
https://twitter.com/#!/ChristianLynnW/status/178978563100385280
https://twitter.com/#!/NI0987/status/178978567735091200
So @PJCrowley is rightly calling this the Tet moment in Afghanistan. I'd clarify by calling it the My Lai moment.
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) March 11, 2012
https://twitter.com/#!/ebertchicago/status/178976642272731136
https://twitter.com/#!/garyyounge/status/178915094179229696
There's been a killing spree in #Afghanistan for 10 years, dude.
— Mike Prysner (@MikePrysner) March 11, 2012
Michael Yon, the mil-blogger, has been to Afghanistan several times and knows the area where the shootings happened. Here are some of his thoughts.
https://twitter.com/#!/Michael_Yon/status/178844385121812480
https://twitter.com/#!/Michael_Yon/status/178853303185182720
https://twitter.com/#!/Michael_Yon/status/178863472233295873
https://twitter.com/#!/Michael_Yon/status/178875727117160448
https://twitter.com/#!/Michael_Yon/status/178897985810333697
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