By Rich McKay and Phil Stewart
ATLANTA (Reuters) -Five U.S. soldiers were shot at the Fort Stewart base in the state of Georgia on Wednesday, and the suspected shooter is in custody, Army officials said.
The soldiers were treated on site and then transported to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment, Fort Stewart said in a Facebook post. Authorities did not immediately provide further details on the condition of the wounded soldiers.
“There is no active threat to the community,” the post said.
Law enforcement responded to reports of a possible shooting in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area at 10:56 a.m. ET (1456 GMT), and the base was locked down shortly after 11:04 a.m. The suspect was arrested at 11:35 a.m., Fort Stewart said.
The Army did not offer details about the suspect, including whether he or she is a soldier.
Governor Brian Kemp wrote on X that he and his family were “saddened by today’s tragedy” at the base.
“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,” he added.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and is monitoring the situation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, about 225 miles (362 km) southeast of Atlanta and 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Savannah. Nearly 9,000 people live at the base, according to the 2020 Census.
The base supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Army military personnel, as well as thousands of military retirees, family members, and others, according to its website.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Ismail Shakil in Washington; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Franklin Paul and Rod Nickel)
