Former Fort Stewart public safety director explains military emergency response protocols after Army Sgt. Quornelius Radford allegedly shot five soldiers Wednesday.
Following a shooting that wounded five soldiers at Fort Stewart on Wednesday, a former public safety director at the Georgia military installation outlined the post’s emergency response and weapons safety protocols, as officials praised fellow troops who tackled the suspect, likely preventing further casualties.
Army Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, of Jacksonville, Florida, allegedly shot five fellow service members with a personal handgun in Fort Stewart’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area. They are all expected to recover, officials said.
Ret. Army Col. Mike Bumgarner, who previously oversaw all emergency services and policing at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, told Fox News Digital that military police would have arrived with multiple units within three to five minutes of receiving the 911 call.
Also, likely aiding in the suspect’s speedy apprehension, according to Bumgarner, were the FBI-style protocols soldiers are trained to follow, including quick evacuation, barricading if escape is not possible, and taking swift action to curb imminent danger.
As authorities combed through witness statements and evidence to determine what led to Wednesday’s tragedy, Bumgarner, who also served as a battalion commander for the military police at Fort Stewart, said that if there had been warning signs that the suspect was in distress, protocols would have prompted leadership to remove weapons from his possession.
