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FORT HOOD, Texas (UPI) -- A U.S. Army soldier opened fire at a soldier processing center Thursday, killing 12 and and wounding 31 people at Fort Hood, Texas, a base commander said.

"At about 13:30, a shooter entered the soldier readiness facility and opened fire," Lt Gen. Bob Cone said. "Due to the quick response (of police forces) ... The shooter was killed. He was a soldier."

The gunman had two handguns, Cone said.

Cone said two other soldiers "who were suspects" were tracked to adjacent buildings where they were apprehended.

Cone did not provide a motive for the shootings. Among the dead was one of the civilian police officers employed on the base.

The injured were sent to regional hospitals.

All of the deaths occurred at the initial incident in the processing center, he said.

President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were informed of the incident, CNN reported.

"What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence." Obama said. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire on an Army base on American soil."

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she was told by base personnel the shooting occurred inside the processing center but she wasn't at liberty to say where.

Fort Hood, one of the largest U.S. military installations in the world, was on lockdown to incoming and outgoing traffic.

Obama said the Pentagon, the FBI and the Department of Homeland security were involved in the investigation.