As sketchy reports slowly trickle in from the Fort Hood tragedy, disturbing scenarios hover around the minds of many Americans. Whatever comes out from investigations led by the FBI, CIA and the Army Command, questions on the safety of US troops and Americans, in general, will have to be address in the coming days and weeks.

At around 2:30 pm today, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army Psychiatrist, went on to a shooting spree in Fort Hood army base in Texas. His bloody rampage resulted in the initial death of 12 soldiers while wounding 31 others. Hasan is reportedly in the hospital after being wounded by a female army officer.

President Obama, in a press conference said, "It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.” But even if the pieces of the puzzle will eventually surface, two disturbing realities will take time to settle.

The Insane Psychiatrist Angle

In what is considered to be the worst violence inside an American military base, Major Nidal Malik Hasan was supposedly part of the Army’s support team to address Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and other psychological conditions resulting from war traumas. But as it appears to be, he was even more mentally sick than the soldiers he was supposedly treating.

According to Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Hasan was “upset about being sent to Iraq.” Initial reports suggest that Hasan was supposedly scheduled to be deployed in Iraq this late November. But the army shrink's disproportionate response to his anxious and adamant behavior is what makes the tragedy even more disturbing. The incident further raises questions on whether the Military has sufficiently addressed the psychological health of America troops.

The Sleeper Terrorist Angle

The Army Command has ruled out the incident as resulting from a terrorist plot. Major Hasan is reportedly an American citizen with Jordanian descent and at the same time a practicing Muslim. But by virtue of his having a Muslim name and heritage, America’s subconscious fears always come to play when these types of horrific incidences happen.

The early condemnation of the American-Islamic Council may have been an appropriate response, but at the same time, it exposes the possibility of a backlash against Muslim communities around America. The incident is also a hard reality check for the Obama administration. For as long as the war in the Middle East continues to escalate, violent incidences perpetuated by any Muslim always carry the stigma of terrorism.