WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday called a mass shooting at a Texas Army base "a horrific outburst of violence."

"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," the commander in chief said. "We are going to stay on this."

He said it's a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

The Army says 12 people were killed and more than 30 wounded at the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas.

Obama also said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.

Obama spoke late Thursday afternoon with Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, the commanding officer at Fort Hood, to express condolences and to offer any help Cone needs, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Obama was getting regular Oval Office updates on the shooting from his staff, led by his homeland security adviser, John Brennan.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.