Authorities identified a sergeant as the perpetrator of the shots that left five injured on Wednesday morning at the Fort Stewart military base, located in southeast Georgia, a situation that prompted a lockdown and put nearby towns on alert.
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After 2 pm (local time), the emergency situation was lifted and access to the largest military facility east of the Mississippi River, which houses the 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army, was allowed again.
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The five injured individuals are in stable condition and are expected to have a quick recovery, military authorities said.
How was the attack on the military base in Georgia?
The active shooter alert prompted a rapid mobilization of security forces, who deployed an operation to contain the threat and protect both military personnel and the nearby community.
As a precaution, schools near the base, including Button Gwinnett Elementary, Joseph Martin Elementary, and Snelson Golden Middle School, remain on alert or under a “soft lockdown” to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The Fort Stewart commander issued specific instructions to the military personnel to secure doors and windows, stay inside the facilities, and keep phone lines open to report any updates.
The attacker was identified as Sergeant Cornelius Radford, from Jacksonville, Florida, who joined the Army in January 2018, according to authorities, and according to NBC News, he is listed as a specialist in automated logistics, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart.
“The soldiers who witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation took down the soldier, subdued him, and allowed law enforcement forces to detain him,” said Brigadier General John Lubas, as reported by NBC News.
The attacker used a personal weapon against his colleagues and not a military assault weapon. Authorities still do not have background information to explain Radford’s motivations.
Donald Trump described the shooting as an “atrocity” and said that the perpetrator would be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”. “The whole nation is praying for the victims and their families, and we hope they fully recover,” he added at the White House.