The Army sergeant accused of opening fire at Georgia’s Fort Stewart and wounding five fellow soldiers was swiftly subdued by fellow servicemembers who acted without hesitation as the violence unfolded.
“Soldiers who witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the shooter so he could be brought into custody,” said Brig. Gen. John Lubas during a press briefing outside the base on Wednesday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Sgt. Quornelius Radford, allegedly used a personal handgun during the attack, which took place at his place of work on the base and involved his coworkers. The motive remains unclear, but Lubas confirmed that Radford has been interviewed by Army investigators.
Five soldiers were injured in the shooting, three of whom required surgery. All are currently in stable condition and expected to recover.
Lubas noted that Radford had not been deployed to combat and had no known disciplinary record prior to the incident. He served as an Automated Logistics Sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart.
“We’re going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of duty,” Lubas said, adding that officials remain confident in the base’s security.
Authorities also confirmed that Radford was arrested for driving under the influence in May, though his chain of command was not aware of the charge until it was uncovered during the post-shooting investigation.
Radford is currently in pre-trial confinement, awaiting a charging decision from the Office of Special Trial Counsel.
