Homewood soldier says he was first Fort Hood victim

A soldier from Homewood who was shot three times during the Fort Hood rampage has told relatives that he was the gunman's first victim.

Nate Hull said his brother, 21-year-old Najee Hull, has had surgery, and one bullet is still lodged in his leg. The suspected gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was wounded by police and remained hospitalized Sunday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Nate Hull was headed home Sunday after visiting his brother.

"We're at the airport in Houston," he said. "We just saw my brother. We're flying back to Chicago now."

Nate Hull said his brother told him he was in line at the soldier readiness center when the shooter walked in Thursday. Najee Hull, who joined the Army about a year ago, was preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Nate Hull said Najee told him that he was hit in the leg and back. One bullet came out through Najee's chest. The other one hit his spleen, which had to be removed.

Najee Hull was a 2007 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School and had graduated earlier this year from basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. He is the son of Yvonne Hull-Pearson, of Homewood.