Army sergeant opens fire at Fort Stewart, five soldiers injured
Logistics sergeant tackled by fellow soldiers after workplace shooting; base briefly locked down
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — An Army sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart on Wednesday, shooting five soldiers and prompting a brief lockdown at one the country’s largest Army bases, officials said.
Few details were immediately available about what led to the gunfire, but the suspect is an Army sergeant, according to a U.S. official. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The injured soldiers are stable and recovering, said Brig Gen. John Lubas. The Army won’t release names pending notification of family members and they won’t speculate on motive, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko said at a news conference.
Officials identified the shooter as logistics Sgt. Quornelius Radford. A telephone number listed for Radford in public records rang unanswered on Wednesday.
The shooter opened fire at his workplace, officials said. Soldiers in the area who witnessed the shooting “immediately and without hesitation” tackled the shooter, Lubas said.
This latest act of violence on a U.S. military installation — sites that are supposed to be among the most secure in the country — again raised concerns about safety and security within the armed forces’ own walls.
The Army said it’s investigating the shooting. There were still many unanswered questions, including the condition of the soldiers, the scope of their injuries, the name of the shooter as well as any possible motive.
The injured were treated and then moved to Winn Army Community Hospital, base officials said in a Facebook post, adding there’s no threat to the community.
Some of the wounded were also taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, said spokesperson Bryna Gordon. The hospital is the top-level trauma center for coastal Georgia. Gordon said she didn’t know how many people were being taken to the hospital or what their conditions are.
Law enforcement was sent to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday. The shooter was arrested at 11:35 a.m., officials said.
The lockdown lasted about an hour. After it was lifted, cars began to move through the normal security checkpoint at the fort’s main gate.
The Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team was created in 2016 when the service added more than 200 vehicles to an infantry unit of roughly 4,200 soldiers. Also known as the “Spartan Brigade,” the Army has called the unit its “most modern land fighting force.”
Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. It’s home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and family members.
White House and Defense Department officials said President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth had been briefed on the shooting.
The FBI was at the fort to help investigate, said Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Among the deadliest acts of violence on U.S. military bases was a 2009 attack. A U.S. Army psychiatrist killed 13 people in a shooting that left more than 30 wounded at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas.
In 2013, a defense contract worker and former Navy reservist killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard. He was then killed in a gun battle with police.
In 2014, a soldier opened fire on his fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding more than a dozen others before the gunman killed himself.
In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff’s deputies. Just days earlier, a U.S. Navy sailor shot two people to death before killing himself at Pearl Harbor, the Naval station in Hawaii.
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Catalini contributed from Trenton, New Jersey; and Associated Press writers Jeff Martin and Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Mike Balsamo, Konstantin Toropin and Mike Pesoli in Washington, D.C.; and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — Five soldiers were shot Wednesday at Fort Stewart in Georgia, leading to a lockdown at the Army base before the shooter was arrested, officials said.
The conditions of the soldiers and the circumstances of the shooting weren’t immediately clear, nor was the identity of the shooter.
The Army said it’s investigating.
The injured were treated and then moved to Winn Army Community Hospital, base officials said in a Facebook post, adding there’s no threat to the community.
Some of the wounded were also taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, said spokesperson Bryna Gordon. The hospital is the top-level trauma center for coastal Georgia. Gordon said she didn’t know how many people were being taken to the hospital or what their conditions are.
Law enforcement was sent to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday. The shooter was arrested at 11:35 a.m., officials said.
The lockdown lasted about an hour, and three schools just outside the base took steps similar to a lockdown as well, “out of an abundance of caution,” the Liberty County School System said.
After the lockdown, cars began to move through the normal security checkpoint at the fort’s main gate.
The Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team was created in 2016 when the service added more than 200 vehicles to an infantry unit of roughly 4,200 soldiers. Also known as the “Spartan Brigade,” the Army has called the unit its “most modern land fighting force.”
Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. It’s home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and family members.
White House and Defense Department officials said President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth had been briefed on the shooting.
Among the deadliest acts of violence on U.S. military bases was a 2009 attack. A U.S. Army psychiatrist killed 13 people in a shooting that left more than 30 wounded at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas.
In 2013, a defense contract worker and former Navy reservist killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard. He was then killed in a gun battle with police.
In 2014, a soldier opened fire on his fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding more than a dozen others before the gunman killed himself.
In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff’s deputies. Just days earlier, a U.S. Navy sailor shot two people to death before killing himself at Pearl Harbor, the Naval station in Hawaii.
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Catalini contributed from Trenton, New Jersey; and Associated Press writers Jeff Martin and Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Konstantin Toropin and Mike Pesoli in Washington, D.C.; and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP/NBC News) — Parts of the Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia were locked down Wednesday after an active shooter was reported on the sprawling Army post, a spokesperson said.
NBC News reports multiple people have been shot, at least five, based on preliminary information. Fort Stewart said in a Facebook post that “casualties have been reported and the situation is ongoing.” It’s unclear whether casualties include injuries, deaths or both. According to NBC News, a suspect has been taken into custody.
“We are currently assessing the situation but we can confirm an active shooter,” Lt. Col. Angel Tomko said.
A post on Fort Stewart’s Facebook page told all personnel in the locked down area to “stay inside, close and lock all windows and doors.”
Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. It’s home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and family members.
“Due to the lockdown status all gates on Fort Stewart are currently closed,” the fort said on social media.
Officials monitoring situation
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is in contact with responding law enforcement, he said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, whose district includes Fort Stewart, said in an online post that he’s monitoring the shooting.
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FORT STEWART, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— The Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield is dealing with an active shooter situation that has resulted in casualties, according to a post from the base's Facebook page.
"The Commander has issued a Lock Down in the 2ABCT area in place order for Fort Stewart including Wright and Evans Army Airfield," the post reads. "Lockdown your facility immediately, stay inside, close and lock all windows and doors. Keep telephone lines open and report accountability to your leadership."
According to a separate post, the incident began in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area, and the installation was locked down at 11:04 a.m. Law enforcement is on the scene.
