Five soldiers were shot and wounded on Wednesday on the Fort Stewart military base in south-east Georgia before the shooter was taken into custody.
Parts of the base had been locked down earlier on Wednesday after a shooter was reported on the sprawling army post, a spokesperson said. The base later issued an all-clear, and gates were reopened at Fort Stewart, Wright army airfield and Evans army airfield.
“Five soldiers were shot today in an active shooter incident in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area. All soldiers were treated on-site and moved to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment. There is no active threat to the community,” the base said in a Facebook post.
Some of the wounded were also taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, the top-level trauma center for coastal Georgia.
The shooter had been apprehended and taken into custody, the army said early on Wednesday afternoon. Several outlets reported that the suspect is an active-duty soldier, citing unnamed officials, and is a male, ABC said.
“The installation was locked down at 11.04am and law enforcement is on the scene at the time,” an earlier Facebook post read. “Casualties have been reported and the situation is ongoing.”
Located about 40 miles south-west of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest army post east of the Mississippi River. It is home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the army’s Third Infantry Division and family members.
Almost 9,000 people live on the huge Fort Stewart base, according to Military OneSourcea defense department program.
Hinesville, the city outside the front gate in Liberty county, is estimated to have a population of about 35,000 people indicating what a dominant influence the military base is in the area, and more than 18,000 military retirees live within a 50-mile radius.
“Due to the lockdown status all gates on Fort Stewart are currently closed,” the fort said on social media.
The sprawling army complex includes schools for service members’ families, and stores and recreational services across the area. Three schools nearby had also ordered a lockdown following the base shooting. The lockdown was lifted at around noon local time, shortly after it emerged that the shooter had been apprehended and was no longer considered a threat to the community.
Updated News Based Newspaper WTOC TV reported early on Wednesday afternoon that four people had been taken to the hospital and that the police were familiar with the identity of a suspect, but the Guardian has not yet independently verified these details.
Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, and that the White House was monitoring the situation as it continued to develop.
An FBI spokesperson said that their Savannah satellite office “is aware of the incident at Fort Stewart and is coordinating with Army Criminal Investigations Division for any assistance that might be needed”.
The Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, said she had been briefed on the shooting and will be closely monitoring the situation.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Fort Stewart,” she said in a statement posted on Xadding that homeland security “is actively monitoring the situation on the ground”.
Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, posted on X saying: “As we remain in close contact with law enforcement on the ground, Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by today’s tragedy at Ft. Stewart. We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same.”
He was referring to his wife, Marty Kemp, the first lady of Georgia, and the couple have three daughters.
Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, also posted an expression of sympathy in the wake of the shooting.
“I’m heartbroken to see the news of an active shooter incident at Fort Stewart today,” Warnock said on Wednesday. “I’m monitoring the situation closely and join all of Georgia as we pray for the safety of our servicemembers, staff, and their families.”
A previous shooting had taken place at Fort Stewart, when an army sergeant was killed in 2022. Sgt Nathan Hillman, a 30-year-old from Pennsylvania, and an Afghan veteran, died during the shooting on 12 December 2022.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
