5 soldiers shot at Army’s Fort Stewart in Georgia, base reports

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Five soldiers were shot on Wednesday at the Army’s Fort Stewart in Georgia before a shooter was arrested.

Parts of Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia were locked down after a shooter was reported on the sprawling Army post, a spokesperson said. The army said the shooter has been arrested and there’s no threat to the community.

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A post on Fort Stewart’s Facebook page told all personnel in the locked down area to “stay inside, close and lock all windows and doors.”

Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. It’s home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and family members.

The shooter was in the area of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, the fort said online.

The fort’s three elementary schools were also on lockdown, Community Superintendent Brian Perry told WTOC-TV. The schools have nearly 1,400 students, according to the Department of Defense.

Three schools just outside the base took steps similar to a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” the Liberty County School System said online.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is in contact with responding law enforcement, he said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, whose district includes Fort Stewart, said in an online post that he’s monitoring the developments.