Fort Stewart, Georgia—home to the 3rd Infantry Division—was rocked on Monday morning by an all-too-familiar nightmare: a mass shooting on U.S. soil carried out by one of our own. An Army sergeant opened fire inside a brigade complex, injuring five fellow soldiers in a sudden and brutal act of workplace violence.
Here’s what we know so far.
The Shooter
The suspect is Sergeant Quornelius Radford, 28, a logistics NCO assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, part of the 3rd Infantry Division’s “Spartan Brigade.” Radford had been stationed at Fort Stewart since 2022 and enlisted in the Army back in January 2018.
Radford had never been deployed into a hostile environment.
On August 5th, around 10:30 a.m., Radford pulled a personally owned handgun—not an Army issued weapon—and began shooting inside the brigade’s administrative work area. His victims? Fellow soldiers. Men and women he worked alongside, trained with, probably ate chow with the day before.
The Victims: Five Shot, All Alive
Five soldiers were shot in the attack. Four were treated initially at Winn Army Community Hospital, located on-post. Two with more serious injuries were later transferred to a trauma facility in nearby Savannah. Three underwent surgery, but all five are expected to recover. Considering the chaos, no fatalities is nothing short of a miracle.
At least one of the victims is reportedly in stable condition after emergency surgery, while others are recovering under close observation. Their names have not yet been released, but it’s confirmed they all worked in the same unit as Radford.
The Arrest: Taken Down by His Own
Radford didn’t get far. He was subdued by fellow soldiers—men who heard the shots, responded immediately, and stopped the attack without hesitation. He was handed off to military police by 11:35 a.m., less than an hour after the first shots rang out.
The base went into immediate lockdown. Roads closed. Gates sealed. On-base schools were secured. Soldiers were told to shelter in place. All of it was lifted roughly an hour later once the situation was contained.
Radford is currently being held at Liberty County Jail while both military and federal investigators work the case. Charges have not yet been formally announced, but attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations are all on the table.
The Motive: No Answers Yet
As of now, authorities have offered little clarity on why Radford did what he did. Brigadier General John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd ID, told reporters that the shooting wasn’t connected to any training event and that no motive has been confirmed.
There is no evidence of ideological extremism. No manifesto. No known grievances—at least not yet.
However, it has come to light that Radford was arrested two months ago in Jacksonville, Florida on DUI and traffic-related charges. That incident apparently never made it back to his chain of command. Whether that lapse is related to what happened at Fort Stewart or not remains to be seen.
The Investigation: Lots of Questions
The FBI’s Savannah field office, along with Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), is leading the investigation. Their focus is on how Radford got the handgun onto post, whether there were warning signs leading up to the attack, and if there were lapses in communication regarding his civilian arrest.
This isn’t the first time the Spartan Brigade has seen bloodshed inside its own walls. In December 2022, another soldier fatally shot a senior NCO inside the same brigade area. That case is still fresh in the minds of soldiers stationed here.
Fallout and Leadership Response
In the wake of the shooting, Army leaders have pledged support to the victims and their families. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called the incident “a tragedy,” and President Trump was briefed shortly after the attack. The Army Secretary issued a statement of concern and vowed full accountability.
For now, Fort Stewart has returned to a state of normal operations—but the emotional and psychological damage will linger.
Final Thoughts
Military service is supposed to mean something. It’s supposed to bind us together—shared mission, shared sacrifice. But when a soldier turns his weapon on his own, that bond gets torn. It is a kind of betrayal. No base lockdown, no quick MP response, no command press release can make it right.
Radford will face trial. The Army will conduct reviews. A congressional committee may demand answers.
But the soldiers who hit the floor under gunfire Monday morning don’t need spin. They need time to heal.
And the rest of us, as always, we need to stay alert.