ABSTRACT
Chapter Objectives ◾ To understand the processes required to aggregate and validate social media
information for use during situational analysis ◾ To consider the impact of demographics on aggregation and validation of
social media information ◾ Identify speci„c aggregation and validation tools available for use by emer-
gency managers and disaster responders ◾ Explore the theory of social validation and its impact on social media moni-
toring and aggregation ◾ Evaluate the opportunity and prevalence of bias in social media reporting
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DISASTER FOCUS-FORT HOOD SHOOTING
At 1:34 p.m. local time on November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major serving as a psychiatrist, entered the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, a U.S. military installation just outside of Killian, Texas. (See Figure 7.1.) e Soldier Readiness Center was a facility for military personnel to receive routine medical treatment prior to and returning from oœcial deployment. He was armed with a semi-automatic pistol that he had purchased from a local gun store. According to eyewitnesses, Hasan sat at a nearby empty table for a few seconds and then stood up and opened „re on those soldiers within the facility. Army Reserve captain John Gašaney and civilian physician Michael Cahill both tried to challenge Hasan but were both wounded in the process. As Hasan moved through the facility, he passed several opportunities to shoot civilians, instead focusing on soldiers in uniform. Ultimately, Hasan was shot and taken into custody by Army police oœcers and is now paralyzed from the chest down. By the end of the event, Hasan had killed 13 people and wounded 29 others. During the investigation of the event, there were 146 spent shell casings recovered inside the building and 68 casings collected outside, for a total of 214 rounds „red by Hasan and responding police oœcers. Moreover, medics who treated Hasan later reported that he was still carrying 177 un„red rounds of ammunition in his pockets. In the „rst few hours after the event, two other soldiers were believed to have been involved but were later released. By the end of the event, multiple agencies responded to the Fort Hood shooting, including the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bell County Sheriš’s oœce, and Federal Bureau of Investigation oœcers. As a military oœcer, Hasan was later charged with 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.6 With the size and scope of the response and impact of this act of terrorism, the public desire and need for information was immense. Traditional media sources and citizen journalists alike quickly moved to report on any pieces of information that were available about the event. Unfortunately, without reliable sourcing and tools to aggregate and validate the plethora of rumors, anecdotes, and buzz-worthy information, it was challenging for impacted individuals to get a clear, concise, and accurate picture of what had happened.7
