FORT HOOD — There was the classroom presentation that justified suicide bombings. Comments to colleagues about a climate of persecution faced by Muslims in the military. Conversations with a mosque leader that became incoherent.

As a student, some who knew Nidal Malik Hasan said they saw clear signs that the young Army psychiatrist — who authorities say went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and 29 others wounded — had no place in the military. After he arrived at Fort Hood, Hasan seemed conflicted about what to tell fellow Muslim soldiers about the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, alarming an Islamic community leader from whom he sought counsel.

“I told him, ‘There’s something wrong with you,’ ” Osman Danquah, co-founder of the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, told the Associated Press on Saturday. “I didn’t get the feeling he was talking for himself, but something just didn’t seem right.”

Micah Thomas, of Waco, holds a sign Saturday outside the front gate of Fort Hood. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Nidal Malik Hasan

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Danquah assumed the military’s chain of command knew about Hasan’s doubts, which had been known for more than a year to classmates in a graduate military medical program. His fellow students complained to the faculty about Hasan’s “anti-American propaganda,” but said a fear of appearing discriminatory against a Muslim student kept officers from filing a formal written complaint.

Military criminal investigators continued late Saturday to refer to Hasan as the only suspect in the shootings, declining to say when charges would be filed.

“We have not established a motive for the shootings at this time,” Army Criminal Investigative Command spokesman Chris Grey said.

Meanwhile, mourners continued to arrive at the base to express support for the victims and their families.

Kendra Thomas, 41, of Waco, and 10 of her 13 children caught the attention of dozens of TV cameras from media outlets around the world who have descended upon Fort Hood in the past few days with their simple gesture.

The children, who are homeschooled, lined up in front of the base, holding signs and banners with handwritten messages of support and gratitude to the military.

“We just felt helpless Thursday,” 17-year-old Charity Thomas said. “We knew that this was something we could do. We can’t go to Iraq, but we could come here.”

Hasan’s family described a man incapable of the attack, calling him a devoted doctor and devout Muslim who showed no signs that he might lash out with violence.

“I’ve known my brother Nidal to be a peaceful, loving and compassionate person who has shown great interest in the medical field and in helping others,” said his brother, Eyad Hasan, of Sterling, Va., in a statement. “He has never committed an act of violence and was always known to be a good, law-abiding citizen.”

Still, in the days since authorities say Hasan fired more than 100 rounds in a soldier processing center at Fort Hood in the worst mass shooting on a military facility in the U.S., a picture has emerged of a man who was forcefully opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was trying to get out of his late November deployment to Afghanistan.

Twice this summer, Danquah said, Hasan asked him what to tell soldiers who expressed misgivings about fighting fellow Muslims. Danquah said he was so disturbed by Hasan’s persistent questioning that he recommended the mosque reject Hasan’s request to become a lay Muslim leader at Fort Hood. But he never saw a need to tell anyone at the sprawling Army post about the talks, because Hasan never expressed anger toward the Army or indicated any plans for violence.

“If I had an inkling that he had this type of inclination or intentions, definitely I would have brought it to their attention,” he said.

Both military and civilian investigators have yet to talk with Hasan, who reportedly jumped up on a desk and shouted “Allahu akbar!” — Arabic for “God is great!” — at the start of Thursday’s attack. He was seriously wounded by police and transferred Friday to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and officials said late Saturday he was no longer on a respirator.

“Hopefully, they can put together the pieces and find out what in the world was in his mind and why he went crazy,” Danquah said. “Aaaaah, it’s sad. Those soldiers could have been my soldiers.”

Tribune-Herald staff writer Erin Quinn contributed to this report.