Five soldiers were wounded Wednesday morning in a shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia, one of the highest-profile Army installations in the South, according to service officials.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area of the base, which is home to the 3rd Infantry Division, and spurred a lockdown of the installation and local schools.
Police detained the suspected gunman, Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 30 minutes after the initial response, authorities said. The Army did not immediately release details about the alleged shooter or a possible motive.
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All five injured soldiers were in stable condition.
“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,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said in a statement.
Radford, 28, was subdued by soldiers when he walked into his workplace with a personally owned handgun and began firing, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, told reporters during a news conference Wednesday.
Radford serves as an automated logistical specialist.
In addition to thanking local law enforcement, Lubas also highlighted the troops who he said played a role in stopping Radford.
“I would also like to thank the brave soldiers who immediately intervened and subdued the shooter,” Lubas said. “These soldiers, without a doubt, prevented further casualties.”
Lubas said an investigation is ongoing, but expressed confidence in the base’s security.
“I’m very confident in the security of this installation,” Lubas said. “This one’s a bit difficult, and we’re going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of duty.”
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Fort Stewart, one of the Army’s largest installations, is located roughly 40 miles away from Savannah.
“I’m heartbroken to see the news of an active shooter incident at Fort Stewart today,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said in a statement. “I’m monitoring the situation closely and join all of Georgia as we pray for the safety of our service members, staff and their families.”
The incident is a little more than a decade removed from the deadly Sept. 16, 2013, mass shooting at the headquarters of Naval Sea Systems Command inside the Washington Navy Yard in D.C. — where the shooter killed 12 people and injured three others.
The deadliest mass shooting on a military base took place at Fort Hood in Texas on Nov. 5, 2009, when a then-Army major shot and killed 13 people and injured more than 30. He was subsequently sentenced to death and is awaiting execution.
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