Georgia military base on lockdown following shooting incident

What happened

The incident at Fort Stewart is the second mass shooting in Georgia in five days. The base went on lockdown following a shooting incident at a bowling alley on base shortly after noon today. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The base posted on Twitter that there was an "active shooter" incident and that soldiers and families should "shelter in place," meaning they should find a secure place to hide.

Impacts

The incident at Fort Stewart is the second mass shooting in Georgia in five days. The shooting at a grocery store in Acworth on July 4th left one person dead and five others wounded. The suspect, a 15-year-old, surrendered to police the next day.

Context

The shooting at Fort Stewart, home to roughly 25,000 soldiers, comes as Congress debates the future of the Armed Forces. Defense officials want Congress to lift a 2001 law that limits deployments to only 190 days per year. Officials say this limits their ability to project power and influence abroad. But congressional Democrats, led by progressives such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), have been skeptical of the idea, saying it would lead to more deployments and prevent soldiers from quickly transitioning to civilian life.

Reactions

Republicans, typically supportive of the military, have also expressed reservations about the proposal. Military families, fatigued by lengthy deployments, also opposed the change.