- An active-duty US Army soldier in Kansas stopped a suspected gunman by ramming him with his vehicle, according to law enforcement officials.
- The suspect fired at oncoming vehicles "with no particular association" using a handgun and semi-automatic rifle, hitting a separate soldier who was at the scene.
- The Ft. Leavenworth soldier who hit the suspect was "waiting in traffic," and intervened once he determined it was an active shooting incident.
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An active-duty US Army soldier based in Kansas stopped a suspected gunman by ramming him with his vehicle on Wednesday, according to law enforcement officials.
Police initially responded to reports of a road-rage incident on the Centennial Bridge over the Missouri River at around 11 a.m. local time, according to Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens. Upon arriving, police officers discovered two people who were injured, a separate Ft. Leavenworth soldier with a gunshot wound; and another person "trapped under the car."
Both people were transported to a hospital where they are listed as "serious, but in stable condition."
Investigators later discovered that the person trapped under the car was the suspected gunman. The suspect fired at oncoming vehicles "with no particular association" using a handgun and semi-automatic rifle, officials said. Several other cars were hit by the gunfire.
The Ft. Leavenworth soldier who hit the suspect was "waiting in traffic," and intervened once he determined it was an active shooting incident, Kitchens said.
"What was a very, very dangerous situation, fortunately, was ended quite quickly," Kitchens said in a press conference. "Very likely countless lives were saved by the person that intervened."
Ft. Leavenworth officials are expecting to search the suspect's home with a warrant, Kitchens added.
Military officials from Ft. Leavenworth did not respond to a request for comment but are participating in the investigation.
Ft. Leavenworth is the "oldest continuously-active military post west of the Mississippi River," according to the US Army. Roughly 3,704 active-duty troops are stationed on the base. The base includes the US Disciplinary Barracks, the only maximum-security prison within the military.
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