Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) -- On the fifth day of every month, the loved ones of soldiers killed and wounded in the Fort Hood shootings last year make sure to think positive thoughts instead of dwelling on the carnage of last November 5.
"We call ourselves a family; that's how we cope," Jessica Hansen, the fiance of wounded Staff Sgt. Patrick Zeigler, told CNN on Monday. "We mark the fifth of every month. All of us do. Instead of using that to mark something tragic, we try to use that day to mark our accomplishments and our feats".
On Tuesday, Hansen and the others will finally learn more about what happened last November when the alleged gunman, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, is wheeled into a military courtroom for the start of a hearing to determine if he'll be court-martialed.
Hasan, 40, is accused of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in the shooting spree at this sprawling Army post. He's paralyzed from the upper chest down after civilian police shot him four times.
The Article 32 hearing, like a civilian grand jury, will consider the evidence against Hasan and decide whether the case will move forward to a court-martial that could bring the death penalty. Unlike a grand jury, the hearing is open to the public, and both the defense and prosecution can present witnesses and evidence.
Army prosecutors have refused to speak publicly about the case or release a witness list. They are expected to call every person wounded in the shootings, as well as others, to provide a second-by-second account of what happened on November 5, 2009.
CNN
