Shooter in custody after 5 soldiers shot at Georgia army base

Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, discusses the relationship between the military base and the civilian population.

The suspect, Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford, is from Jacksonville, Florida, and joined the Army in January 2018, officials said.

Radford, 28, is listed as an automated logistical specialist, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, records showed.

He has had no deployments. 

After a soldier allegedly opened fire on his own unit at Fort Stewart, fellow soldiers subdued and detained him until authorities arrived, highlighting both the rapid response by troops and ongoing concerns over base security.

The suspect, Sgt. Quornelius Radford, had once been arrested by local authorities on suspicion of drunken driving — but his commanding officers had not known about that incident, officials said.

“I do believe he was arrested locally for a DUI that was unknown to his chain of command until the event occurred,” Brig. Gen. John Lubas said.

Soldiers who witnessed the shooting jumped the suspect and prevented anyone else from being harmed, officials said.

“Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately, and without hesitation, tackled the soldier, subdued him, and allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody,” Brig. Gen. John Lubas said.

All the victims were listed as stable this afternoon and are expected to survive, officials said.

The victims were all shot with a personal weapon — not a military weapon — that belonged to the suspect, Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said.

The soldiers shot at Fort Stewart were co-workers of the suspect, officials said.

“The shooting occurred at the soldier’s place of work,” said Brig. Gen. John Lubas, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield.

“It did involve his co-workers. We’re still not certain about the motivations.”

The victims were not immediately identified and the Army didn’t say what the shooter’s motive might have been.

“We will not speculate as to any intentions, motives or back stories, given that this is an ongoing investigation,” said Lt. Col. Angel Tomko.

Three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News that the person who allegedly opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia this morning is Quornelius Radford.

The alleged shooter has prior ties to Florida, the officials said.

A press conference about the Fort Stewart shooting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Brig. Gen. John Lubas, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, is expected to answer reporters’ questions in a little more than an hour.

An all-clear has been issued and gates have been opened at Fort Stewart, Wright Army Airfield and Evans Army Airfield.

Former state lawmaker and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams thanked first responders for their fast work in responding to the Fort Stewart shooting.

“Praying for the wounded soldiers and their families following today’s horrific shooting at Fort Stewart,” the noted voting rights advocate said in a statement. “Grateful to the first responders who rushed to the scene and saved lives.”

Abrams was the two-time Democratic nominee for the governor’s chair, losing in 2018 and 2022 to Brian Kemp. Abrams came within 1.4 percentage points of Kemp in the 2018 race.

An Army sergeant was killed at Fort Stewart in 2022.

Sgt. Nathan M. Hillman, a 30-year-old from Plum, Pennsylvania, and an Afghan veteran, died during the shooting on Dec. 12, 2022.

Spc. Shay A. Wilson is facing a murder charge and his case is still pending.

Secretary Kristi Noem said she’s been briefed on the shooting and will be closely monitoring the situation.

“I have been briefed on the shooting at Fort Stewart,” she said in a statement, adding that Homeland Security “is actively monitoring the situation on the ground.”

“We are praying for the victims and their families,” she added.