Updated at 0600 EST on August 7, 2025
FORT STEWART, Ga. — Five soldiers were wounded Wednesday morning in an active shooter incident on Fort Stewart, prompting a full base lockdown and swift law enforcement response. The shooter, now identified as Army Sgt. Quornelius Radford, was subdued by fellow soldiers at the scene and taken into custody without further incident.
The shooting occurred at 10:56 a.m. in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (2ABCT) area near Wright and Evans Army Airfield. By 11:35 a.m., Radford was in custody. A base-wide lockdown was issued shortly after the first shots were fired.
Shooter Was Logistics NCO in 2nd Brigade
At a 3:30 p.m. press briefing, Brigadier General John Lubas, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, confirmed that the suspect is Sgt. Quornelius Radford, an automated logistics specialist assigned to a sustainment unit within 2nd Brigade. He has never deployed and is currently in pretrial confinement awaiting charges.
According to BG Lubas, the shooting occurred in Radford’s workplace, and all five victims were his coworkers.
“We do not have any reason to believe it had anything to do with a training event,” Lubas said. “Other than that, I cannot say more about the soldier.”
Lubas also confirmed that Radford used a personally owned handgun, not a military-issued weapon. He acknowledged reports that Radford had previously been arrested for DUI in May in Liberty County, Georgia, stating:
“I do believe he was arrested recently for DUI, but that was unknown to his chain of command until the shooting.”
Court records show that Radford was scheduled for an Aug. 20 hearing in Hinesville, a small town near Fort Stewart, on charges stemming from a May 18 incident. He was cited for driving under the influence and running a red light just after 1 a.m. According to the citation and court filings, Radford was given a blood test and later released on an $1,818 bond.
Soldiers Credited With Preventing More Bloodshed
General Lubas credited other soldiers in the area for subduing Radford and preventing further casualties. Their swift response likely saved lives before military police and emergency responders arrived.
Medical Updates
All five wounded soldiers were initially treated at Winn Army Community Hospital. According to General Lubas, three required surgery, and two have since been transferred to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah—the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
Local reports indicate one arrived in the morning, another at 2 p.m., and a third was en route by ground transport due to inclement weather preventing airlift.
Dr. William J. Bromberg, a trauma surgeon at Memorial Health, addressed media outside the hospital, highlighting the speed and capability of their emergency care team:
“There’s a hole, there’s a hole—and anything in between those holes is going to have a hole in it,” Bromberg said, referring to gunshot wounds. “We’re very good at stopping that bleeding. Patients can receive blood within 2 to 5 minutes, and we can begin operating in less than 15 minutes.”
No official updates on the soldiers’ conditions have been released.
Lockdown Timeline and Public Safety
Fort Stewart issued a shelter-in-place order at 11:04 a.m., with all installation gates closing by 11:40 a.m.. Nearby schools, including Button Gwinnett Elementary, Joseph Martin Elementary, and Snelson Golden Middle School, were placed on soft lockdown out of caution.
Initial reports of a second possible shooter were ruled out. Authorities have confirmed that no additional threats exist.
The FBI Savannah office is assisting Army CID in the ongoing investigation.
Public and Political Reactions
Statements of support have poured in from officials:
- Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA): “Please join me in prayers for the casualties, their families, and the brave law enforcement officers working to protect our community.”
- Governor Brian Kemp: Called the incident a “tragedy,” offering prayers to victims and their families.
- Speaker of the Georgia House Jon Burns urged ongoing support for Fort Stewart and first responders.
About Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart, home to the 3rd Infantry Division, is one of the Army’s largest installations east of the Mississippi. It has long served as a critical deployment platform for missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other global operations.
🟠 This is a developing story. The Salty Soldier will continue to report updates as new details become available.
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