SOUTH BEND — Anxious moments surfaced Thursday for a South Bend military family already hit by tragedy, after word that their soldier son was just a few doors down when a gunman opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas.

Late Thursday night, an Army spokesman said the shooter had multiple gunshot wounds, but is not dead as first reported. But, 12 other people are dead and at least 30 others were injured after a gunman opened fire.

Sources tell CBS News that the gunman responsible for the killings is Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist and drug rehab specialist. Hasan allegedly opened fire at Ft. Hood's Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed or are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan undergo medical treatment.

Hasan also allegedly gunned down people who were attending a graduation ceremony at a nearby theater on the base.

As military police, FBI agents and other law enforcement combed through the area searching for evidence that might explain a motive, frightened family and friends anxiously awaited word about their loved ones.

That included at least one family in South Bend.

Specialist Jonathon Meyer, a South Bend native, has been stationed at Fort Hood since 2005, when he first went on active duty. Thursday afternoon, his family waited for hours, hoping to hear that he was OK.

To say the Meyers are a "military family" might be an understatement.

One look around the living room filled with American flags, yellow ribbons and blue stars paints a pretty clear picture. Then, of course, there are the pictures themselves, hanging on walls, sitting on end tables, and framed in display cases.

One on end is the Marine Corps side, filled with pictures of Chris Meyers in uniform. The other end shows pictures of Jonathon, green Army uniform bearing the rank of Specialist draping his body.

So, when Deb Meyer heard the words "shooting on a U.S. Military base," anxiety rose.

It was quickly replaced by fear.

"I turned on the TV and immediately started panicking when they showed the maps, because it's in their neighborhood," she said.

Spc. Meyer and his expectant wife both live on base at Fort Hood, just blocks away from where gunshots rang out Thursday.

"It's literally in their neighborhood. They kept talking about Clear Creek Gate, and they live right there," Meyer said.

But, the base was locked down and communication was cut off, leaving Meyer to fear the worst.

"To go through something like this, the first thing that went through my mind is please Lord, not again," Meyer said. "I already have one soldier at Arlington. I don't need another one."

For two long hours Thursday, the Meyers relived tragedy.

6 years ago, their son Jason was killed by friendly fire in Iraq. The flag that draped his coffin now sits near a hand drawn picture of him in the Meyer's living room. The emotions surrounding his death were suddenly all being repeated.

"I felt panic, hell, pain. I said, over and over, please Lord, not again," Meyer said.

Then, the phone finally rang.

"He said, hi mom," said Meyer, grinning from ear to ear. "And, I said--oh, thank God! He said, we're OK. We're OK! What a relief. It was just...it was amazing!"

But, for the families of 12 other soldiers killed and more than 30 others hurt, there was no phone call--no "amazing moment."

That wasn't lost on the Meyers, Thursday. They picked up the phone to start a prayer chain for all those now going through what they have.

"We've been through it. We understand losing a child that's been in the military. We know he could have been there, in that building, because he was supposed to deploy to Iraq next month, but it was just changed. But, others were. We're thinking of them now," Meyers said.

Their hope now is that a sense of peace can still rise, even in the wake of tragedy.

That's why, this weekend, they'll join with other blue star families to put together care packages to send to Chris and Jonathon's units, as well as to many others serving overseas.

You can donate to the effort, with money or time at the WalMart at 700 W. Ireland Road on Saturday from 8am-5pm.