They were unarmed but ready for battle. How these soldiers helped stop a shooter at Fort Stewart

CNN

07-08-2025

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Keep up with the latest developments on this story here.
Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor was checking her email Wednesday when she heard a colleague yelling about gunshots at Fort Stewart military base in Georgia, prompting her to peer into the hallway outside her office.
'I saw the smoke at the end of the hallway,' she said. 'And I noticed there was a soldier laying on the ground.'
At that moment, Taylor – who served as a combat medic for seven years – sprang into action: 'I immediately sprinted over to the soldier and started rendering aid. He had been shot.'
On the other side of the building, one of Taylor's colleagues had opened fire, authorities say – wounding five at the military base outside of Savannah before being subdued by unarmed fellow soldiers who did not hesitate to tackle the suspect, halting Wednesday's shooting.
Taylor was among six soldiers honored Thursday by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who awarded them the Meritorious Service Medal for their actions. Their bravery, the secretary said, stopped a shooting that could have been much more severe.
'Under duress and fire, they ran into battle to the sound of the gunfire, took down the assailant, and then took care of their comrades,' Driscoll said. 'And that made all the difference.'
In the meantime, investigators continue to probe the shooting – and the alleged motive of the 28-year-old active-duty sergeant who authorities say pulled out a personal handgun and opened fire at the base.
Authorities did not offer substantial new details Thursday about the suspect – identified as Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford – saying they would not speculate about his motives.
Radford remains in custody and will likely be transferred to a military detention center, said Ryan O'Connor, Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Special Agent in Charge.
Two soldiers – both women – remained hospitalized as of Thursday morning, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.
'One soldier remains as an in-patient at Winn Army (Community Hospital) right here on Fort Stewart. She's doing very well, in high spirits,' Lubas said. 'Of course, she's got a little bit of a road to recovery. We're hopeful she may be released as early as this weekend but that will just depend on how things heal up over the next couple of days.'
The other soldier, however, has a 'little bit longer road to recovery,' Lubas said. 'The doctors are very positive, but I think it's going to take her a bit longer to recover.'
The shooting was the latest example of the epidemic of gun violence plaguing the United States, showing even a US military installation filled with soldiers is not immune: Wednesday's incident is among at least 262 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as one that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.
The soldiers on Wednesday handled the scene like a 'battle drill,' said Lt. Col. Mike Sanford, the commander of the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, praising their work.
'They went into action and did what they needed to do,' Sanford said. 'Whether it's here or overseas or we're in combat – they did the right thing.'
On Wednesday, Lubas said Radford's alleged motive was not known.
But a law enforcement official briefed on the case told CNN Radford had a disagreement with one of the victims on Tuesday. He followed that coworker to a maintenance area and shot him in the chest before shooting four others.
That's when Lubas said other soldiers 'prevented further casualties' by tackling Radford, allowing police to arrest him.
It's unclear what the disagreement was about.
Law enforcement responded at 10:56 a.m. ET, according to a Facebook post from Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield. Less than 10 minutes later, the base was locked down. Emergency personnel were sent to treat the victims at 11:09 a.m., the post said.
Radford joined the Army in 2018 as an automated logistical specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the US Army said. His role involved handling supplies and warehouse operations.
Radford had not deployed to a combat zone and had no known behavioral incidents on his military record, Lubas said.
However, the general acknowledged Radford was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in May. Radford's chain of command was unaware of the arrest prior to Wednesday's shooting, Lubas said.
Radford was out on bond and scheduled to be arraigned on August 20.
The suspect's father, Eddie Radford, had not noticed unusual behavior by his son recently, he told The New York Times. He did not know what might have motivated the shooting, but said his son had complained about racism at Fort Stewart and had been seeking a transfer.
The Times did not publish more specifics.
Fort Stewart declined to comment on the racism allegation and whether Radford had requested a transfer. 'The circumstances that led to the events today are currently under investigation,' a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division told CNN.
The suspect used a personal handgun in Wednesday's attack, Lubas said Wednesday.
The weapon is a 9mm Glock the suspect bought in Florida in May, according to the law enforcement official. The gun was recovered at the scene along with numerous shell casings, the official said.
Authorities are unsure how Radford got the gun through the base's high security before carrying out the shooting at his place of work. Carrying personal firearms on base is typically prohibited by military regulations.
Radford has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and remains in pretrial confinement as he waits for a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel, Lubas said Wednesday.
The suspect will be tried by the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, according to a military official – an office akin to a US Attorney's Office. The OSTC is reviewing the evidence and in the process of drawing up charges.
Once that's done, the suspect is expected to be court-martialed, the military official said.
That would be comparable to a trial. It is, however, a 'completely different justice system' than a civilian would face, CNN analyst Ret. Gen. Ty Seidule told CNN Wednesday.
Radford, Seidule said, would be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, under which the military has its own judges and prosecuting counsels. Soldiers accused of the most serious crimes may face a court-martial.
If convicted of a serious crime, Radford could be imprisoned at a military prison, Seidule said.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed the suspect would be 'prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly said in a post on X, 'Swift justice will be brought to the perpetrator and anyone else found to be involved.'
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN's Danya Gainor contributed to this report.