Fort Stewart shooting suspect identified as active-duty sergeant, official says; 5 soldiers wounded

Five soldiers were wounded when an active-duty sergeant opened fire on his coworkers Wednesday at Fort Stewart in Georgia, officials said. The suspected shooter, who was taken into custody, used his personal weapon in the shooting.

Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the fort’s commander, told reporters the wounded soldiers were all in stable condition and expected to recover.

The wounded soldiers were treated on site and then taken to an Army hospital, officials said. Two of the soldiers were taken to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia, hospital spokesperson Bryna Gordon confirmed to CBS News.

“There is no active threat to the community,” officials said on social media.

The incident happened in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area, officials said.

Law enforcement officers responded to initial reports of the shooting at 10:56 a.m. local time, officials said. The fort was locked down at 11:04 a.m., and the suspect was in custody at 11:35 a.m., officials said. According to an Army official, the shooter was apprehended by the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, which is a federal law enforcement agency. Officials said on social media that the fort was “all clear” just before 2 p.m.

The shooting was under investigation, and officials said no additional information would be released until the investigation was completed.

President Trump has been briefed on the shooting and the White House is monitoring the situation, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also been briefed on the shooting, a defense official said.

“Lockdown your facility immediately, stay inside, close and lock all windows and doors,” officials said in an earlier social media post before it was revealed that a suspect was in custody. “Keep telephone lines open and report accountability to your leadership.”

Fort Stewart is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River, covering nearly 280,000 acres, according to the Defense Department. In the 2020 census, the fort had an estimated population of 8,821 people. Outside the fort’s front gate is the small town of Hinesville, Georgia, located about 40 miles southwest of Savannah near the state’s Atlantic coast.    

The Georgia State Police told CBS News it was assisting with securing the perimeter. The FBI said on social media that its office in Savannah was aware of the shooting and was coordinating with the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a social media post that he is in contact with responding law enforcement.

“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,” Kemp wrote.

Eleanor Watson and

Jared Ochacher

contributed to this report.