According to a law enforcement official, among the items found in Abdo’s room at the time of his arrest were a military uniform with Fort Hood patches, a pistol, shotgun shells and an article on “how to make a bomb in your kitchen’’ from the English-language Al Qaeda magazine Inspire. He also had more than one wall clock, a cellphone, duct tape, and a shopping list for what appeared to be explosive components, the official said.
The police said they had interviewed Abdo in the city jail and that his statement “leads us to believe that military personnel were targeted,’’ said Dennis M. Baldwin, the Killeen chief of police. He said Abdo did not appear to be part of any larger plot. “As far as we know, he did act alone,’’ Baldwin said.
It was unclear what connection Abdo had to Fort Hood. He had been absent without leave from Fort Campbell in Kentucky since early this month.
The announcement of his arrest renewed a sense of vulnerability at Fort Hood, where on Nov. 5, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist, went on a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 32 at a medical facility on the base. Hasan’s trial is set for March 5.
Base officials quickly issued a statement to reassure soldiers. “At this time, there has been no incident at Fort Hood,’’ officials said. “We continue our diligence in keeping our force protection at appropriate levels.’’
Abdo, who joined the Army in April of 2009, gained national attention last summer when he refused to deploy with his unit to Afghanistan, insisting his Muslim faith prevented him from serving. He fought his deployment since 2010 and gave multiple interviews.
