Fort Stewart Rocked by Shooting: Five Soldiers Injured
Fort Stewart in Georgia—a place where soldiers usually focus on training and teamwork—was thrown into chaos on Wednesday morning. Just before 11 a.m., a regular workday turned into a fight for survival when Army sergeant Quornelius Radford, 28, allegedly pulled out a personal handgun and started shooting in the middle of his unit’s area. The incident unfolded at the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team zone, catching everyone off guard.
Radford was an automated logistics sergeant, someone you’d expect to be handling paperwork, not weapons. At 10:56 a.m., shots rang out, and emergency alarms went off. Soldiers in the area didn’t freeze. Instead, some rushed toward the sound of gunfire. Within minutes, a lockdown swept across the base as leadership tried to contain what could have quickly spiraled into an even worse tragedy.
Emergency teams made it to the scene in about 13 minutes. By 11:35 a.m., responding soldiers tackled Radford and took him into custody, showing guts and fast action under pressure. Brig. Gen. John Lubas didn’t mince words—he credited the soldiers’ decision to act for saving lives, saying their actions “without a doubt, prevented further casualties.”
Questions Mount as Investigation Unfolds
The five wounded soldiers were rushed to medical help. Two were sent to Savannah’s Memorial Health University Medical Center, which deals with the worst trauma cases in that part of Georgia. Doctors at both Savannah and the nearby Winn Army Community Hospital shared some relief: all five are expected to recover. Still, the emotional toll on the base is real, with friends, family, and fellow soldiers shaken.
People are asking tough questions about how this could happen inside a secured base. Army rules are strict about bringing firearms onto base, even for soldiers who own guns legally. There’s usually a lot of paperwork and notification before anyone can bring a personal weapon through the gate. But none of that stopped Radford. Investigators now have to figure out how he got his handgun in, and whether there were any warning signs missed by the chain of command or his colleagues.
No one is talking about Radford’s motive yet. The Army has confirmed that the shooting took place among people he worked with—fellow soldiers who saw him daily. As crime scene investigators combed through the 2nd Armored Brigade area, the rest of Fort Stewart’s main sections gradually reopened. By just after noon, only the immediate shooting zone stayed closed off.
This shooting will likely trigger more debates about mental health in the military, the stress soldiers face, and whether the base’s security rules need an upgrade. For now, the Army has started an official inquiry, but won’t share more until they sort through the evidence and interviews. Everyone at Fort Stewart is left piecing together what went wrong—and hoping to prevent it from happening again.
