Five soldiers shot at Army base in Georgia, suspect apprehended
The injured soldiers were "treated on-site and moved to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment," installation officials said in a post to the base's official Facebook page. The post did not specify their status.
The shooting occurred shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday in an area of the south Georgia installation associated with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, a tank unit that returned from a deployment in Europe in the summer of 2024.
The entirety of the fort was locked down shortly thereafter, and the shooter was apprehended at 11:35 a.m., according to the post. Fort Stewart lifted the lockdown for much of the base shortly after midday, and declared the post "all clear" just before 2 p.m. Eastern.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Hinesville Police Department, joined the Army in responding to the incident. The FBI also said it is responding to the scene at Fort Stewart and will provide resources or investigative support as requested, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.
Both President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been briefed on the shooting and are monitoring the situation, according to a statement from White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt and one from Sean Parnell, a Defense spokesman.
Wednesday's shooting is the second in recent years to occur in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team's workspace. In December 2022, a fellow soldier shot and killed Sgt. Nathan Hillman in the unit's building complex.
Here's what we know so far about the incident.
Schools in lockdown amid Fort Stewart shooting
Schools placed on lockdown amid Fort Stewart shooting; most have been lifted
Multiple schools in and around Fort Stewart went into temporary lockdowns as the shooting unfolded at the sprawling military base.
Three schools serving the children of military personnel at Fort Stewart went on lockdown Wednesday morning, according to a Department of Defense Education Activity alert. During the lockdown, no one could enter or leave the schools, though teaching continued, the alert said. Around 12:30 p.m. Eastern, the lockdown was lifted.
In Liberty County, where most of the base is located, two elementary schools and a middle school went into a soft lockdown 'out of an abundance of caution,' the district said in a statement on social media. It was the students' first day back in school after summer break.
In Appling County, over 20 miles from Fort Stewart, all of the county's schools were placed under a level 1 lockdown before it was lifted around 1 p.m., the school system said on social media.
– Christopher Cann
Lawmakers call for prayers
Georgia lawmakers said they were praying for the soldiers and their families in posts to social media.
'Please join me in prayers for the casualties, their families, and the brave law enforcement officers working to protect our community,' said Rep. Buddy Carter, a Republican who represents the district that includes Fort Stewart.
Rep. Mike Collins, another Georgia Republican, also asked for prayers for soldiers and first responders.
'I'm heartbroken to see the news of an active shooter incident at Fort Stewart today,' said Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. 'I'm monitoring the situation closely and join all of Georgia as we pray for the safety of our servicemembers, staff, and their families.'
– Jeanine Santucci
What is Fort Stewart?
The U.S. Army's Fort Stewart is a sprawling military installation in southeast Georgia that covers 438 square miles, an area larger than New York City that includes an array of training and housing facilities.
The base is home to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, and about 10,000 people live there, including active duty troops, family members and civilian employees, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The base's history traces back to 1940 when it opened as an anti-aircraft training facility. Over the decades, it has steadily grown in size and population. Today, it serves thousands of active duty military, family members, students, retirees, contractors and civilian employees.
– Christopher Cann
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Newly released records reveal details of suspected Fort Stewart shooter's recent arrest
The violent attack at the Georgia military installation came months after Quornelius Radford, 28, was arrested for a suspected DUI. Newly released records reveal the state the suspected Fort Stewart shooter was in at the time of a DUI arrest months before an attack on Aug. 6 that left five soldiers wounded at the Georgia military installation. U.S. Army Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, a noncommissioned officer, turned on his fellow soldiers and shot them using his personal handgun, according to Army Brig. Gen. John Lubas. Six Fort Stewart soldiers jumped into action and apprehended Radford. The five wounded soldiers in the attack are expected to recover. The shooting at the base came just months after Radford was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Liberty County, the area where Fort Stewart is located. His superiors were unaware of his arrest on Elma G. Miles Parkway. "I smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath," a Georgia State Patrol officer wrote in a report shared with USA TODAY. "Mr. Radford's eyes were watery and bloodshot." Radford, of Jacksonville, Florida, had worked at Fort Stewart since 2022 and was not previously deployed to combat, Lubas said. Soldiers in Radford's field typically manage maintenance or warehouse operations by placing orders and tracking work in Army computer systems. When was Radford arrested? Georgia State Patrol pulled over and arrested Radford at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, according to an arrest report shared with USA TODAY. Records show Radford was arrested near the intersection of Elma G. Miles Parkway and Sharon Street in Hinesville, Georgia. The location is in Liberty County, about 3 miles away from Fort Stewart. The arresting officer asked Radford to take a breathalyzer test, but the Army sergeant refused, according to the Georgia State Patrol report. He also refused to do a field sobriety test, "stating that he's not drunk," the officer wrote. A field test aims to assess a driver's balance and coordination through tests such as having a driver stand on one leg. Results are admissible in court. The suspected Fort Stewart shooter also refused to take a chemical test, including a blood test, records say. What we know about the motive: Why did an Army sergeant open fire at Fort Stewart? 'Strong odor of an alcoholic beverage' The arresting officer initially pulled over Radford for running a red light. He was driving a 2021 gray Nissan Altima with Florida plates, records show. The Georgia State Patrol officer noticed that Radford might have been drinking when he approached the Army sergeant and noticed a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on Radford's breath. When asked if he had been drinking, Radford said he "had a beer hours ago," according to the report. The officer noticed Radford's "speech patterns was mumbled," the report added. Radford told the officer he had a "stuttering problem." U.S. military bases: Fort Stewart shooting marks the latest attack in recent years Where is Radford now? Radford was due in court in Liberty County on Aug. 20 for the DUI arrest, according to Hannah Wiley, a deputy clerk at the court. After being apprehended at the scene on Aug. 6, he is awaiting charges in pretrial confinement. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. His father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that he hadn't noticed anything unusual about his son's behavior and didn't know what might have led to the violent attack. But the elder Radford said his son had been seeking a transfer and complained to his family of racism at Fort Stewart. "It's hard for me to process," Eddie Radford told the Times. Contributing: Davis Winkie, Jeanine Santucci, Christopher Cann, Ansley Franco, Thao Nguyen, Amanda Lee Myers, Scott Butler; Reuters
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Who is Quornelius Radford, the Fort Stewart shooter from Jacksonville? Here's what we know
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
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