Georgia (United States): Five soldiers have been shot and injured during an active shooter incident at the US Army’s Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia state, according to an official social media post of the fort.
The suspect is identified as Quornelius Radford, an automated logistics sergeant, according to John Lubas, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. Radford used a personal handgun to open fire on fellow soldiers at his assigned base.
“I can confirm it was not a military weapon. And we believe it was a personal handgun,” Lubas told a news conference on Wednesday (local time).
“We’re still not certain about the motivation, but again, he’s been interviewed by Army investigators, and we believe we’ll gain more information here shortly,” Lubas said.
The shooter has been previously arrested locally for driving under the influence, reports Xinhua news agency
A lockdown of the base was initiated at 11:04 a.m. (local time) and was fully lifted in the afternoon.
“All soldiers were treated on-site and moved to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment. There is no active threat to the community,” said the fort.
All the victims are now in stable condition in the afternoon and are expected to survive their wounds, according to officials.
Located about 40 miles (64 kilometres) southwest of Savannah City, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Atlanta said on social media that its Savannah office is coordinating with the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The incident remains under investigation.
(IANS)
