HINESVILLE, Ga. (NEXSTAR) – Officials at Fort Stewart in Georgia shared updates on the five soldiers shot allegedly by their fellow servicemember at one of the nation’s largest Army bases. They also recognized the six soldiers they say stepped in to help the victims, though they did not divulge many details about the suspect or the investigation.
The soldiers were injured after the alleged shooter, identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, opened fire with a personal handgun — not a military firearm — on Wednesday morning. Radford opened fire where he worked, authorities said, but officials wouldn’t speculate about a motive.
At the top of a press conference Thursday, a Fort Bragg official said they would not be discussing possible motives, citing an “ongoing investigation.”
Lubas said Wednesday that Radford had not previously been deployed and was in pre-trial confinement at the time. On Thursday, he indicated that Radford would be moved to another facility.
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 after being tackled by other soldiers, Lubas said.
The five soldiers who were injured received treatment on site before being moved to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment, officials said. Three required surgery, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas.
In an update Thursday, Lubas said three of the injured soldiers had been released from the hospital. One remains hospitalized at Winn Army Community Hospital, and Lubas said she is “doing very well and remains in high spirits” despite the “road to recovery” ahead of her.
“We’re hopeful she may be released as early as this weekend,” he added.
Another soldier is still receiving care at Savannah Memorial Community Hospital. According to Lubas, she has “a little bit longer of a road to recovery.”
“The doctors are positive, but I think it’s going to take her a bit longer to recover, but they’re very hopeful that she’s going to make a complete recovery,” he explained.
Dan Driscoll, the U.S. Secretary of the Army, said Thursday that it was too early in the investigation to determine how the shooter got a personal gun to his workstation.
Special Agent in Charge Ryan O’Connor, who leads the Central Field Office of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, said during Thursday’s press conference that it is a violation for servicemembers to have personal firearms on base.
“Justice will be brought on behalf of these victims and the community that has been harmed,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll praised the efforts of the six soldiers who tackled and restrained the alleged shooter, thanking them on behalf of the Army and the Trump administration. These servicemembers were given awards for their heroism.
“They are everything that is good about this nation,” Driscoll said.
According to Lubas, once the alleged shooter was identified by soldiers in the area, they “raced and tackled that soldier, wrestled the gun away, subdued him.” Another non-commissioned officer then restrained the suspect until authorities arrived.
He added that “no one hesitated” to immediately begin applying first aid to the wounded soldiers.
“When we spoke to the surgeons in the hospital, it was clear that the actions they took, primarily stopping that bleeding before [the soldiers] were loaded up into ambulances and quickly [evacuated] to Winn Army medical, certainly saved their lives,” Lubas said.
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.
The Army said it’s investigating the shooting. There were still many unanswered questions, including the scope of the injuries and the shooter’s motive.
This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
