SPOKANE VALLEY -- Family members tell KREM 2 News one of the victims killed in Thursday's shooting rampage at the Ft. Hood Army Base in Texas grew up in Spokane.
Mike Cahill, 62, was at Ft. Hood working as a physician's assistant for the U.S. Army Reserve.
Cahill's sister, Marilyn Attebery, lives in Spokane Valley. Attebery says Cahill was working at the Ft. Hood Soldier Readiness Processing Center, helping give physicals to soldiers ready for deployment when the shooting occurred on Thursday.
"I received a call that there had been a shooting at Mike's building," said Attebery. After that, Attebery says she watched TV for updates and spoke frequently with family members. Around 10:45 p.m. Thursday night, Attebery finally learned her brother had been shot and killed.
"I'm just upset for all the families and for what went on here. They're talking about wars and show wars and it's right there in Ft. Hood and it's just devastating to everybody and all the families", Attebery told KREM 2 News.
Attebery says Cahill graduated from Rogers High School in 1966 and worked as a registered nurse before going back to school to become a physician's assistant. She says he met and married the love of his life, Joleen, and they moved to Texas in 1991 where he served in the Army Reserve.
According to Attebery, Cahill suffered a heart attack three weeks ago, and underwent heart surgery. However, she says her brother was so excited to get back to work that he returned after taking only one week off for recovery.
In regards to the suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, Attebery says "I'm tired of seeing his face on the screen, he killed my brother" and "there's got to be a better way than guns or weapons."
Cahill leaves behind his wife, Joleen, three children, Keely, Kerry, and Jaime, and a grandson, Brody.
lbbrn said on November 15, 2009 at 9:02 AM
inexcusable inaccuracy -- If you don't even know that there is no such position as a "physician's assistant"; what other untruths are you trying to throw at us? For such a sensitive article why can't you get the honoree’s profession correct? Dispicable how you and your peers just purpetuate misinformation; no wonder no one values your work. What other pieces of information are incorrect?