An active-duty US Army sergeant opened fire with a personal handgun at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday, August 6, injuring five fellow soldiers before being subdued and taken into custody. Military officials confirmed that all five injured personnel are in stable condition, though three of them underwent surgery.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time at the suspect’s workplace on the base. The shooting involved members from the same unit, according to Brigadier General John Lubas, commander of the base.
Authorities said the base went into lockdown after the shooting but security measures were lifted once the suspect was detained. There was no threat to the nearby community. A motive behind the shooting has not yet been identified, and military officials stated that there is no indication the attack was related to any training activity.
The suspect has been identified as 28-year-old Quornelius Radford, an Army sergeant who served in an automated logistics role within the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. He has been posted at Fort Stewart since 2022 and has not seen any combat deployment.
Officials stated that other soldiers present at the scene acted quickly to overpower and detain Radford before military law enforcement arrived. He was then taken into custody and questioned by Army investigators. He is currently being held while legal proceedings are pending.
During a press briefing, General Lubas shared that Radford had a previous arrest for drunken driving. This information was not known to the base command until after the shooting, when a background check was conducted. The Army is still investigating how Radford was able to bring a privately-owned firearm onto the military installation, which is supposed to be a secure facility.
President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, said the nation is praying for the victims and their families and described the suspect as a horrible individual.
Mass Shooting in the US
Mass shootings are a frequent occurrence in the United States, where firearms are widely available, and even military bases have experienced such incidents in the past.
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In 2009, a shooting at Fort Hood Army base in Texas resulted in 13 deaths and over 30 injuries. In another shooting at the same base in 2014, a soldier killed three and injured 16 before taking his own life.
Similar incidents have occurred at other military installations, including the 2013 Washington Navy Yard shooting that left 12 people dead and the 2019 Pensacola Navy base shooting in which three people were killed by a Saudi Air Force trainee.
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, about 225 miles southeast of Atlanta and roughly 40 miles southwest of Savannah. According to the 2020 Census, around 9,000 people live at the base. The facility supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Army personnel, as well as military retirees, family members, and civilians. The investigation into the Fort Stewart shooting is ongoing.
