Five US soldiers shot at Georgia base, shooter in custody
GEORGIA: Five US soldiers were shot at Fort Stewart in the southeastern state of Georgia on Wednesday (Aug 6), and the suspected gunman has been taken into custody, Army officials said.
The shooting occurred in the area of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, with base security locking down the facility shortly after 11am local time. The suspect was arrested at 11.35am.
"There is no active threat to the community," Fort Stewart said in a Facebook post.
The wounded soldiers were initially treated on site before being transferred to Winn Army Community Hospital for further medical care, the post said. Authorities did not immediately provide further details on the condition of the wounded soldiers.
SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS ACTIVE-DUTY SERGEANT
All five victims were listed in stable condition and are expected to recover, though three required surgery, according to Brigadier General John Lubas, the base commander.
The suspect was identified as Quornelius Radford, 28, a logistics sergeant assigned to the Second Armored Brigade. Lubas said Radford had not been deployed to combat.
Military officials said the incident occurred at the suspect's place of work shortly before 11am. The weapon used was a personal handgun, not military-issued.
“I don't believe it had anything to do with a training event,” Lubas told reporters at a press conference. “Other than that, I can't speak to the motivations of this soldier.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said he and his family were "saddened by today's tragedy" and urged residents to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts.
"We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same," Kemp wrote on X.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation and is monitoring developments.
Lubas said the shooter was subdued by other soldiers before being taken into custody by military police. The Army declined to comment on a possible motive.
Officials said Radford used his own firearm, and not one issued by the military, a detail confirmed during an afternoon press conference.
HISTORY OF SHOOTINGS ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
Mass shootings are relatively common in the US, where guns are widely available, and military installations have not been immune.
The deadliest such incident occurred at the Fort Hood Army base in 2009, when a US major fatally shot 13 people and wounded more than 30 others. Another shooting at the same base in 2014 killed three and injured 16 before the shooter took his own life.
Other high-profile cases include a 2013 shooting at Washington’s Navy Yard, where 12 were killed, and a 2019 attack at a US Navy base in Pensacola, Florida, carried out by a Saudi Air Force officer, which left three dead and eight injured.
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, about 362km southeast of Atlanta and roughly 64km southwest of Savannah. Nearly 9,000 people live at the base, according to the 2020 Census.
The base supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Army personnel, as well as thousands of military retirees, family members, and others, according to its website.
