US Army base in Georgia shut down after fatal shooting
The incident came days after rumors of an active shooter incident at a military base in North Carolina
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
One person is dead following a shooting at a US Army base in Georgia.
The incident happened early on Saturday morning at Fort Eisenhower, an Army installation southwest of Augusta. The base went into lockdown around 7:45 a.m. Within two hours, officials had given the “all clear” and the shooter was apprehended and taken into custody.
The shooting happened at housing located on the base and was an isolated incident, an army spokesperson said during a news conference, adding there is no additional threat to the community.
“Our focus at this time is providing support to the victim’s family and assistance to anyone impacted by this tragedy,” the official said. The investigation is being handled by the US Army along with state and local officials.
Officials did not identify the suspect in the case. The victim’s identity will not be released until their family has been notified, the spokesperson said. No additional details were released. The army said it would be providing another update on Monday.
“Fort Eisenhower is actively supporting the victim’s family and assistance will be available to anyone impacted by this tragedy,” an army spokesperson said in a Facebook post.
When the base was locked down, officials told people on site to “execute lockdown procedures on the installation immediately! If you are in danger take appropriate action,” according to a message on social media.
The base canceled activities connected with an afternoon Army-Navy football game service members were playing outside of Washington DC.
The shooting came days after a soldier at Fort Liberty, a military installation in North Carolina, was placed in custody after an incident near division headquarters on Thursday afternoon. The incident sparked rumors of an active shooter but those rumors were later quashed by officials.
Col. Mary Ricks, a spokeswoman for the 18th Airborne Corps, said at about 3:30 p.m. that Fort Liberty emergency services were on the scene responding to the situation. The incident was not an active shooter situation, she noted, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
The incident was over by 4 p.m, the outlet reported, adding it was an isolated incident and no injuries were reported.
Shootings on military bases are rare but there is a history of them taking place. There were at least 24 shootings on military base installations from 1994 to 2019, according to NBC News.