The gates at Fort Stewart usually represent a weird kind of safety. It's the biggest Army post east of the Mississippi, a sprawling 280,000-acre home to the 3rd Infantry Division. You expect the "Dogface Soldiers" there to be training for some far-off conflict, not dealing with a personal handgun being fired in their own supply office.
But on August 6, 2025, that's exactly what happened.
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Honestly, the term "active shooter" feels almost too clinical for what went down. Around 10:56 a.m., Sgt. Quornelius Radford, a 28-year-old logistics sergeant, allegedly opened fire in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area. This wasn't a military-grade rifle incident. It was a personal handgun. Basically, a guy walked into his own workplace and started shooting his coworkers.
Breaking Down the Chaos
The timeline was fast.
- 10:56 a.m.: First reports of gunfire hit dispatch.
- 11:04 a.m.: The entire installation goes into a hard lockdown.
- 11:35 a.m.: Radford is apprehended.
The weirdest part—and the part that probably saved lives—was that Radford wasn't taken down by a SWAT team. He was tackled. Other soldiers in the building didn't wait for the MPs. They heard the shots, saw the smoke, and just went for him. Brig. Gen. John Lubas later said these soldiers "without a doubt" prevented a much larger body count.
By the time the smoke cleared, five people were wounded. Originally, the Army said they were all soldiers. Later, we found out one was a civilian worker who had an "intimate relationship" with Radford.
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The Motive and the Aftermath
You'd think a guy with a pending DUI case would be on the radar. Radford had been arrested in nearby Hinesville back in May 2025 for driving under the influence and running a red light. His commanders apparently had no idea.
There's a lot of talk about what pushed him. His father told reporters that Radford had been complaining about racism and was desperately trying to get a transfer. There was even a cryptic text sent to an aunt that morning saying he’d be "in a better place."
But the Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel isn't looking at it as a "distressed soldier" situation. They’ve charged him with six counts of attempted murder and domestic violence. As of January 2026, he’s sitting in a Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina, waiting for a general court-martial.
Why Shooting in Fort Stewart Georgia Still Matters
Whenever a shooting in Fort Stewart Georgia happens, it exposes the massive gap in base security regarding personal weapons. Military bases are supposed to be some of the most secure spots in the world, yet personal handguns keep making their way into office spaces.
It’s not just about the August 2025 event, either. Just recently, in December 2025, the base went back into lockdown for a "person in distress" in the Bryan Village housing area. People were terrified. You can’t blame them. The trauma of the August shooting was still so fresh that a "shelter-in-place" order felt like a repeat of the worst day of their lives.
Lessons From the "Spartan Brigade" Incident
The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team—the "Spartan Brigade"—is billed as the most modern land fighting force in the world. Their response to the shooting was a mix of raw instinct and high-level medical training.
- Bare-handed First Aid: Medics and regular soldiers used their hands to staunch bleeding before ambulances even arrived.
- Winn Army Community Hospital: They triggered a mass casualty protocol. Two victims had to be flown to Savannah for higher-level trauma care at Memorial Health.
- Zero Hesitation: Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor ran toward the yelling and the smoke.
If you are a service member or a family member at Fort Stewart, the reality is that the "all-clear" doesn't mean the stress is gone. These incidents leave a footprint. The military is now having to look at how off-base arrests (like Radford’s DUI) are reported to command. If that communication had existed, maybe his access to the unit would have been restricted.
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What to do if you're tracking this case:
- Follow the Court-Martial: Radford’s case is currently moving through the military justice system. Check the JAG Corps’ public docket for hearing dates at Fort Stewart.
- Report Personal Weapons: If you’re living on post, ensure you’re up to speed on the current commander’s policy for registering personal firearms. Most installations require them to be stored in the armory unless you have specific on-post housing authorization.
- Mental Health Check-ins: The Army has ramped up the "Dogface" behavioral health resources since the shooting. If the December lockdown triggered you, don't just "suck it up." Use the walk-in hours at the Embedded Behavioral Health clinics.
- Stay Informed via Official Channels: During the December scare, rumors on social media were wild. Stick to the official Fort Stewart Facebook page or the digital "Marne Message" for real-time lockdown updates.
The legal fallout for Radford is likely to result in life imprisonment given the attempted murder charges. For the community, the focus remains on closing the communication loops that allowed a "distressed" soldier with a legal history to walk into work with a loaded gun.