FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — Sgt. Aaron Turner was helping lock down a supply warehouse on Fort Stewart after gunshots were reported in a neighboring office building. Then he saw a fellow soldier walking past, wearing a hooded sweatshirt over his uniform and holding a handgun.
Instead of ducking for cover, Turner said, he approached the gunman and started talking — asking what he was doing there and where he was heading. When he got close enough, Turner grabbed the soldier's gun and took him to the floor, where soldiers held him down until military police arrived.
“I was able to keep a cool head, but pretty much my training ended up kicking in," Turner said Thursday. "It wasn’t about my life at that point. It was about the soldiers.”
Authorities say a member of Turner's unit, 28-year-old Sgt. Quornelius Radford, shot and wounded five fellow soldiers Wednesday morning at the sprawling Army post southeast of Savannah. Radford was taken into custody. The injured were rushed to hospitals and are expected to recover.
Army secretary says soldiers' quick response `absolutely saved lives'
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll came to Fort Stewart on Thursday to praise Turner and five other soldiers for their quick actions in subduing the gunman to prevent further bloodshed and rendering life-saving aid to the victims.
Driscoll awarded each of them the Meritorious Service Medal.
“The fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,” Driscoll told a news conference afterward.
Authorities say Radford used a personal handgun in the shootings. Fort Stewart officials have not said why he opened fire, citing the criminal investigation.
Radford worked as a supply sergeant assigned to the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion of the 3rd Infantry's 2nd Armored Brigade at Fort Stewart, the largest U.S. Army post east of the Mississippi River, and home to thousands of soldiers.
The battalion's commander, Lt. Col. Mike Sanford, said Thursday he's unaware of any problems with Radford or arguments that preceded the shootings.
“Right now, there’s no signs that there was an issue," Sanford said in an interview. "None at all.”
Soldier followed the sound of a shot and a shell casing to one victim
1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold was doing paperwork in a conference room Wednesday morning when he heard a loud noise and saw someone rush past the door. He asked himself: Was that a gunshot?
Arnold said he walked into the hall where he saw a haze in the air, like gunsmoke. Then he spotted the shell casing from a fired bullet on the floor.
“I immediately looked up and saw the first victim,” Arnold said. "The person said to me: `I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot.'”
Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor was reading email in her office when she heard Arnold calling for help. She ran to where Arnold was treating the wounded soldier and took over — removing the soldier's shirt to reveal a gunshot wound to the chest, and applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
“I had no medical supplies or anything with me,” said Arnold, who has training as a combat medic. “I had my bare hands. I was covered in blood, up to my elbows on both arms. There’s no time for you to stop and put on gloves in a situation like that. It’s a life or death situation.”
Meanwhile, Arnold found two more gunshot victims in offices nearby. He gave each emergency aid until medics arrived.
The injured were taken to the hospital and three underwent surgery, officials said.
Base commander says wounded expected to recover
Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry's commander, said two of the soldiers remained hospitalized Thursday and were stable. He said doctors expect each of them to recover.
This latest act of violence on a U.S. military installation — sites supposed to be among the most secure in the country — again raised concerns about safety and security within the armed forces’ own walls. Driscoll said the Army would be looking to see if any security improvements are needed.
Army records released to The Associated Press show Radford enlisted in January 2018. He has not been deployed overseas.
Radford also faces an Aug. 20 hearing in Hinesville, the small city outside Fort Stewart's main gate, on accusations of driving under the influence and running a red light just after 1 a.m. on May 18, according to a citation and court filing. He was given a blood test and freed on a $1,818 bond, the documents said.
A telephone number listed for Radford in public records rang unanswered.
Attorney Sneh Patel is representing Radford in the traffic case but not the shooting as of Wednesday, he said in an email. Whether he has a lawyer to defend him in the shooting wasn't immediately clear.
At Fort Stewart, soldiers of the 2nd Brigade were back at work Thursday after their friends and coworkers were shot. Dozens of them stood outside the brigade headquarters building as the Army secretary presented medals to Taylor, Arnold, Turner and the others.
Asked if she held her family a little tighter Wednesday night after the shootings, Taylor said she went home and cooked them a special dinner.
“I made my kids' favorite,” she said, “which was shepherd's pie."
___
Martin reported from Atlanta.
