Sergeant Quornelius Radford opened fire on fellow soldiers in the 703rd Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on 6/8, injuring 5 of them.
Turner then saw Radford walking by, wearing a hoodie over his uniform and carrying a handgun. Instead of seeking cover, Turner approached Radford, asking him what he was doing and where he was going.
When he got close enough, Turner wrestled the gun away from Radford and tackled him to the ground. At the same time, Sergeant First Class Justin Thomas rushed in to help, subduing Radford until military police arrived.
The suspect was apprehended at 11:35 a.m., nearly 40 minutes after the shooting began.
"I tried to stay calm and use my training," Turner recounted the next day. "At that moment, I wasn't worried about my own life, but about my fellow soldiers."
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Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll awards Sergeant Turner on 6/8. Photo: AP |
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll awards Sergeant Turner on 6/8. Photo: AP
When the shots rang out, Sergeant Joshua Arnold was doing paperwork in a conference room. He ran towards the sound of gunfire, seeing a haze like cigarette smoke and shell casings on the floor.
"I immediately looked around and found the first victim," Arnold said. "He told me, 'I've been shot.'" Arnold immediately called for help.
Hearing Arnold's call, Sergeant First Class Melissa Taylor, working nearby, rushed over to help the wounded soldier. Arnold and Taylor took turns applying pressure to the soldier's chest wound to stop the bleeding.
"I didn't have bandages or anything to provide first aid, just my bare hands. My hands were covered in the victim's blood. There was no time to put on gloves; it was a life-or-death situation," Arnold recounted.
After Taylor took over, Arnold found two more wounded soldiers in nearby offices. He helped them until medics arrived.
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Military police escort suspect Quornelius Radford (in white) at the Liberty County Jail. Photo: USA Today |
Military police escort suspect Quornelius Radford (in white) at the Liberty County Jail. Photo: USA Today
The victims were taken to the hospital. Doctors said the soldiers' quick action saved their lives.
"The soldiers' quick thinking under fire saved lives," said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
Senior Army officials, including Secretary Driscoll, awarded the Army Commendation Medal, a rarely bestowed honor for junior enlisted personnel, to the six soldiers.
Thomas and Turner were honored for subduing the suspect. Arnold, Taylor, and two others were recognized for their life-saving first aid.
As the victims recover, the other soldiers are returning to their routines. After the chaotic day, Taylor went home to her children.
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Location of Fort Stewart. Graphic: CNN |
Location of Fort Stewart. Graphic: CNN
"I cooked their favorite meal that night," she said.
Shootings, some related to terrorism, occasionally occur at US military bases, reflecting the nation's struggle with gun violence.
In 2019, a US sailor killed two and wounded another at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii. That same year, a Saudi military trainee killed three at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.
Fort Stewart, located about 30 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia, was built in 1/1941. It serves as a training and deployment center for active and reserve Army units, including the 3rd Infantry Division. More than 25,000 people work at the base and nearby Hunter Army Airfield.
Radford's motive remains unclear. His family said he had recently requested a transfer and complained about racism at the base. Friends said he was often bullied for a stutter.
Duc Trung (USA Today, People, CNN)
