Soldier with CR Connection OK After Ft. Hood Shootings

By Mark Geary, Reporter

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By Daren Sukhram

Story Created: Nov 5, 2009 at 10:32 PM CST

Story Updated: Nov 5, 2009 at 11:32 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - One Cedar Rapids mother was nervously watching the events in Ft. Hood, TX unfold Thursday.

When Sheryl Dunshee heard about the Fort Hood shootings, she immediately thought about her son, Specialist Mathew Carlson, who works on the military base and also lives there with his family.

Questions raced through her mind, "Was he involved? Did he get hurt?" Dunshee said.

But, she couldn't get in touch with him. "I crossed my fingers and did a lot of talking and called my family trying to find out."

Eventually, Sheryl reached her daughter-in-law and learned Matthew was unharmed and not involved.

"Another soldier doing something like this never would have been thought of," SPC Carlson told TV9 on the phone.

Carlson said everyone on the military base feels stunned and saddened.

"It's just a lot of shock and just waiting and reflecting on what happened today," he added.

Last March, Dunshee visited the Texas military base. She has nothing but fond memories of her time there. "Everybody is very nice. They're caring and they do reach out to you."

She never imagined the place she loved so much would become the site of a horrific moment in history.

"For a man to turn his back on another soldier is very scary," Carlson said.

Dushee feels relieved that her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are all safe. And, she says she's spent the day thinking about all the families who lost loved ones during the shooting.

"I will pray for them and time will heal, I hope," Dunshee said.

Carlson didn't know the alleged shooter or any of the victims. But, he feels terrible someone on the base wasn't able to stop the violence from ever happening.

"I feel bad this individual thought this is what needed to be done. I wish he could have been helped and someone could have seen what was going through his mind," Carlson said.

Specialist Carlson told TV9 everyone is staying inside their homes Thursday night on the base.

He said it doesn't seem like the shooting has sunk in quite yet. But, obviously it was a very frightening day down in Texas.

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