Pregnant Chicago Woman Also Among Ft. Hood Victims
By ANDREW GREINER
Updated 2:54 PM CST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009
As details continue to emerge about the carnage at Ft. Hood, it appears a pregnant Chicago woman was killed in the fray that claimed the lives of 13 soldiers Thursday.
Francheska Velez, 21, had just finished a tour in Iraq and returned to Ft. Hood three months pregnant. The Army had granted Velez, a 2006 graduate of Kelvyn Park High School, a maternity leave of abscence.
She was just weeks away from rejoining her family in Chicago.
An Army representative came to her family's home 4300 block of West Kamerling in the West Humboldt Park last night to deliver the news.
Her father, Juan Guillermo Velez, likened his daughter's death on U.S. soil after serving her country to a slap in the face.
Velez's uncle told CBS2 that the family is "devastated" by the loss and a series of posts on the girl's Facebook page offer condolences.
"I still cant grasp that you have left us," writes Nicole Kelly."Just yesterday morning you were here in my room doing your hair and talkin about craving pineapple.. Just blocks away and i couldnt do anything.. Im sorry... I love you so much and my heart goes out to your family and Sasha ..."
Velez is the second Chicago area soldier reported to be dead in the fracas.
Bolingbrook resident Michael Pearson also lost his life when Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly began shooting up the base.
Details about Velez's death are still coming in, as the Pentagon has not released an official list of victims who were killed during the midday attack.
First Published: Nov 6, 2009 11:55 AM CST
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