INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – FOX 4 talked to Peggy McCarty Wednesday night, whose daughter was working as a specialist at Fort Hood when she was shot in 2009 during a previous mass shooting at the post. Peggy says her heart goes out to those now going through a similar tragedy after Wednesday’s shooting.
She watched the news and felt a familiar feeling that’s not pleasant.
“My heart just stopped because it just brought everything back from that day,” she said.
Peggy said she tried desperately on that fateful day back in 2009 to contact her daughter. She eventually had to hear from a fellow soldier that Spc. Keara Bono Torkleson had been shot. Peggy says turning on the TV and seeing that there was yet another shooting at Fort Hood was tough for her daughter
“Today she had a bad panic attack and she has a headache. She is 10 weeks pregnant so she can’t take much medicine to calm her down,” said Peggy.
Peggy’s advice to her daughter was to turn the TV off! But as Peggy watched the developments, she sent a word of encouragement to families dealing with the same kind of tragedy she went through.
“Just praying for the families and I understand where they are at,” she said.
Specialist Torkleson eventually achieved the rank of sergeant. Peggy says she is now medically retired from the military as a result of the shooting, but said to be doing okay for the most part.
