Rep. Richard McCormick on Thursday on Newsmax commended the bravery of soldiers who subdued an active shooter at Fort Stewart, calling the outcome a "miracle," considering nobody was killed.
The Georgia Republican, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and emergency room physician, told Newsmax's "Newsline" that he is proud of the swift medical response, as well as the heroic efforts of those involved.
The shooting left several soldiers injured, three of whom have since been released from the hospital. No fatalities were reported.
Soldiers quickly intervened to neutralize the threat after one of their own began firing, with unarmed soldiers tackling the assailant and holding him until federal law enforcement arrived.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll confirmed that medals have already been awarded for the soldiers' bravery.
McCormick emphasized the medical response as particularly critical.
"As an ER doc, I'm very proud of how they were able to triage, get people to help within the golden hour," he said. "Three of them had surgeries [that] could have saved their lives."
The congressman also said he was concerned about the psychological aspects of the shooting.
"This is your family, at least like cousins," McCormick said. "You don't go out and shoot your family. It is really, really disturbing to me that anybody would do that, somebody you served with, somebody you sacrificed with."
McCormick stressed the need to understand what led the suspect, identified as a fellow service member, to commit the attack, and to address deeper mental health challenges in the military community.
Asked about the longstanding policy preventing most soldiers from carrying firearms on base, McCormick acknowledged the complexity.
"It does deserve a closer look," he said, referencing past tragedies like the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
While expressing support for Second Amendment rights, McCormick noted that the military operates under unique constraints and high-stress conditions that may warrant stricter policies, and said he has "mixed feelings" about the situation.
McCormick concluded by calling for a deeper investigation into the motive behind the attack. "I hope we get to the bottom of it, find out what's going on, and do better," he said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.