After a shooting incident at Fort Stewart on Wednesday, which resulted in five soldiers being injured, a former Public Safety Director for the Georgia Army praised the quick actions of troops responding to the suspects. He elaborated on the post’s emergency procedures and weapon safety guidelines.
Sgt. Coonrius Radford, 28, from Jacksonville, Florida, is accused of shooting the five fellow service members with a personal handgun in the area of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. Officials stated that all the injured are expected to recover.
Retired Army Colonel Mike Bumgarner, who previously managed emergency services and law enforcement at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, shared with Fox News Digital that military police arrived at multiple units within three to five minutes after the 911 call.
Bumgarner mentioned that while there were protocols to help de-escalate situations and manage anxiety, responses also included quick evacuations and establishing barricades if necessary to mitigate immediate threats.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Bumgarner noted that when leadership receives indications of instability in a service member, routines dictate that the individual should be asked to relinquish their weapons. If someone refuses, the situation typically escalates to the commander intervening to secure the weapon.
Resident soldiers in barracks aren’t allowed to keep firearms in their rooms, though those registered with Fort Provost can possess weapons if they live in family housing either on or off post.
At a press conference following the shooting, army officials stated that Radford had not had any prior disciplinary actions or behavioral issues. However, records show he was arrested on May 18 for driving under the influence and for failing to comply with traffic signals. It’s reported that his command was unaware of those charges.
Bumgarner reflected, “Something went wrong somewhere,” emphasizing that the chain of command is typically attentive to behavioral concerns. He pointed out that if a soldier’s well-being is observed to be in question, efforts are made to facilitate engagement in support programs.
He indicated that the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is leading the investigation, supported by the FBI, to explore registered weapons associated with Radford and assess any connections to wider issues such as terrorism or extremist ideologies. The focus remains on maintaining the crime scene and collecting relevant evidence.
Bumgarner expressed that such incidents are rare and have understandably shaken the military community, asserting, “That’s not what we see. The military is very close.”
When addressing future prevention of weapon misuse, he acknowledged that no simple fixes exist and underscored the complexity of balancing security and the constitutional right to bear arms within the military, as it mirrors broader societal challenges.
