Unarmed soldiers who tackled and subdued a gunman at a military base in Georgia on Wednesday have been hailed for their “heroism” and preventing deaths.
Brigadier General John Lubas said US Army personnel “immediately raced [towards] and attacked” the suspect when they heard gunfire, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said they “ran into battle” to prevent further injuries and administer first aid.
Five people were injured when suspect Quornelius Radford, a 28-year-old US Army sergeant, allegedly opened fire at the Fort Stewart base. All the victims are expected to recover.
The suspect is in custody and officials said they would not speculate on a motive while an investigation was ongoing.
The suspect’s father told US media the soldier sent a cryptic text message to a family member on the morning of the shooting.
Eddie Radford told the New York Times that his son sent a message to his aunt saying “that he loved everybody, and that he will be in a better place because he was about to do something”.
Mr Radford, who did not see the text message himself, said he had not noticed anything unusual about his son’s behaviour prior to the shooting. “It’s hard for me to process,” he added.
He also told the New York Times his son had sought a transfer from Fort Stewart and had complained about alleged racism on the base. BBC News has asked the Department of Defense to respond to the claim.
On Thursday, six soldiers were honoured with a service medal for their role in stopping the gunman.
“Under duress and fire, they ran into battle to the sound of the gunfire, took down the assailant, and then took care of their comrades, and that made all the difference,” said US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
“The heroism shown under fire is something that we should all aspire to know.”
The gunman opened fire at around 11:00 local time on Wednesday at a sprawling military base located around 240 miles (386km) south-east of the state’s capital, Atlanta.
Soldiers ran to subdue the gunman and wrestled his gun away, Gen Lubas said, who described how one, a non-commissioned officer, jumped on top of the suspect and restrained him before police arrived.
Four other soldiers provided medical care to the victims “with no hesitation” and helped stop the bleeding before paramedics arrived on the scene.
Liberty County Sheriff’s Office/ CBSStaff Sgt Melissa Taylor, one of the six that were awarded a medal, told reporters that she was in her office when she heard a fellow soldier yell that “a gunshot went off”, and saw smoke in the hall.
“I noticed there was a soldier laying on the ground, so I immediately sprinted over to the soldier and started rendering aid,” she said.
Army Secretary Driscoll said “they were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers”.
Three of the five wounded soldiers have been released from hospital, while two continue to receive treatment. None have been publicly named.
Of the two who were more seriously inured, Gen Lubas said one was “doing very well, in high spirits”, while the other had “a little bit longer road to recovery”.
Suspect Sgt Radford was part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and has not previously been deployed to a combat zone, officials have previously confirmed.
They said he is in pre-trial confinement and will likely be transferred to a military detention centre.
The US Army also said he had previously been arrested for driving under the influence, a fact now known to the military prior to the attack.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division is leading the investigation alongside the FBI.
