Family: Shooting at Fort Hood "scary"

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Lafayette native Nathan Hewitt is one of the 31 soldiers injured in yesterday's shooting at Fort Hood.

News Channel 18 spoke with Hewitt by phone from his hospital bed. Hewitt said he expects to go home in a couple of hours. He said he is doing well and is trying to keep everyone's spirits up.

Hewitt's uncle, Elmo Robledo, said his 27-year-old nephew is recovering from a shot wound in the calf and a hip injury. He said Hewitt was at the Fort Hood medical facility when shots were fired.

"Nathan started yelling and getting everyone towards the back door. And at some point during that is when he was shot," Robledo said.

He said a bullet grazed Hewitt's hip and another shot went through his calf.

"I don't even think that slowed him down. He continued to help others and make sure everyone got out of harm's way," Robledo said.

Robledo said he still can't believe something like this could happen on a military base, let alone happen to a member of his family.

"For this to happen to the soldiers prior to their deployments is scary. You'd never imagine something like this would happen stateside, especially at one of the largest military bases there is in the United States," Robledo said.

Robledo said Hewitt is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan at the first of the year. He says if he knows his nephew nothing, not even an injury of this magnitude, will stop him from fulfilling his duties.

For now, Robledo said he'll think about a conversation he has with his nephew every time they talk on the phone.

"Every time, before we hang up, I tell him to be safe. And his answer to me is 'Always,'" Robledo said.

Robledo said Hewitt has already served a tour of duty in Iraq but re-enlisted shortly after he got back home.