Fort Hood suspect faces more charges in shootings

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the U.S. Army doctor identified by authorities as the suspect in a mass shooting at the U.S. Army post in Fort Hood, Texas, is seen in this undated handout photo from a pdf file of the U.S. Government Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences downloaded on November 6, 2009.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army filed additional charges of attempted murder on Wednesday against a military psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas in November.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, already charged with 13 counts of murder, now faces 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and more charges are possible, the Army said in a statement.

Hasan, a Muslim born in the United States, is accused of killing 13 people and wounding dozens in the November 5 rampage at the massive Army base in central Texas ahead of his deployment to Afghanistan.

The victims covered by the new charges include 30 soldiers and two Ford Hood police officers.

Hasan, who was paralyzed by gunshots used to subdue him, is being held at a military hospital in Texas and could face the death penalty.

"Everything seems to be on the fast track in this case," said Hasan's lawyer, retired Colonel John Galligan.

The Army has requested an inquiry into Hasan's mental capacity, a Fort Hood spokesman said. The request is pending with the 21st Cavalry Brigade commander.

The case has drawn criticism after if became known that Hasan had been in contact with a Muslim figure sympathetic to al Qaeda.

Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates named two former military officials to lead a review of the Fort Hood case with the aim of preventing a similar attack.

President Barack Obama also ordered a probe into how U.S. intelligence agencies handled information they may have gathered about the alleged gunman.

(Reporting by Anna Driver and Eileen O'Grady in Houston, Editing by John O'Callaghan)