Sergeant who shot 5 soldiers at Fort Stewart was tackled by witnesses, officials say

FORT STEWART, Ga. (WSAV) — Five soldiers were shot Wednesday after an Army sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart, prompting lockdowns at the Georgia base, authorities have confirmed.

Brig. Gen. John W. Lubas identified the shooter as logistics Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, during a press conference Wednesday. A telephone number listed for Radford in public records rang unanswered.

Radford, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, allegedly opened fire at his workplace. Soldiers in the area who witnessed the shooting “immediately and without hesitation” tackled the shooter, Lubas said.

"These soldiers, without a doubt, prevented further casualties," he added.

Law enforcement was first notified of a possible shooting at the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. ET Wednesday. Roughly 40 minutes later, the suspected shooter was taken into custody.

The five soldiers who were injured received treatment on site before being moved to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment, officials shared at around 12:40 p.m. ET. Three required surgery, Lubas said.

He added that two of the soldiers were taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah for additional care. Nexstar's WSAV reports this was due to the base's hospital not being a level 1 trauma center.

All of the soldiers are in stable condition and expected to recover, according to Lubas, and all lockdowns at the base have been lifted.

Video below: Dr. Bill Bromberg, attending trauma surgeon at Memorial Health speaks about receiving victims from Fort Stewart shooting

Radford allegedly used a "personal handgun," not a military weapon, in the shooting. How he got the handgun to his workstation, as well as the motive, are under investigation, Lubas said.

Lubas said Radford had not previously been deployed and is now in pre-trial confinement.

Army records released to The Associated Press show that Radford, who worked as a supply sergeant, enlisted in January 2018.

Radford faced an Aug. 20 hearing in Hinesville, a small town near the base, on accusations of driving under the influence and running a red light just after 1 a.m. on May 18, according to a citation and court filing. He was given a blood test and freed on a $1,818 bond, the documents said.

Attorney Sneh Patel is representing Radford in the traffic case but not the shooting as of Wednesday, he said in an email. He cited attorney-client privilege in declining to comment about any of his conversations with Radford.

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.

Trump called the shooter a “horrible person” in comments to reporters at the White House.

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. Early last year, officials at the base discussed exercises that were being held to test the posts' ability to respond to emergencies and threats, including an active shooter hostage situation.

“All in an effort to hone our skills, to learn how to work together, and to communicate during times of tragedy or emergencies like we are simulating here,” Fort Stewart’s Deputy to the Garrison Commander, Steven Hood, told WSAV.

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.

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.

"I'm very confident in the security of this installation," Lubas said Wednesday when asked about the safety of Fort Stewart.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.