Fort Hood officials chose not to warn public as predator attacked female soldiers in their barracks for 18 months
By ROSE L. THAYER STARS AND STRIPES •
August 26, 2025
Four female soldiers were attacked by a man with a weapon in their barracks rooms at Fort Hood, Texas. The attacks took place in a 18-month span. During that time, base officials chose not to release a public warning and instead alerted soldiers through the chain of command. (Illustration by Noga Ami-rav/Stars and Stripes) AUSTIN, Texas — Mayra Diaz was a 17-year-old high school senior working toward enlisting in the Army when she heard the news that Spc. Vanessa Guillen, another young Hispanic woman with dreams of the military, was killed at Fort Hood in April 2020. As Guillen’s case ignited a criminal investigation and justice reforms at the base and across the military, Diaz watched from California. She hesitated to enlist. “I remember my mom crying to me and telling me not to leave,” Diaz said. “In the end, I knew that it was what was best for me career-wise and spiritually and emotionally, just to get away from home. So, I made the decision to join the military despite what happened to [Guillen], knowing that it could happen to me.” Diaz reassured her mother that nothing like what happened to Guillen would happen to her. But it did.
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https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-08-26/fort-hood-predator-barracks-18887308.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes
