Two shot near Tenn. Navy base, suspect in custody

Gary Strauss and Duane Gang | USA TODAY

A Navy base in Tennessee was temporarily locked down Thursday afternoon following a shooting incident in which two National Guardsmen were wounded by a fellow Guardsman.

CNN reported that a National Guardsman got into a fight with two other Guardsmen just outside the base at about 12;45. One reportedly pulled a gun, shooting one man in the foot and the second in the leg, according to Memphis TV station WMC-TV. Both victims were hospitalized, although the Navy says neither has life-threatening injuries.

The lockdown ended about 90 minutes following the incident after a suspect was taken into custody A law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly told the Associated Press that the shooter was a recruiter who had been relieved of duty.

Millington Police Chief Rita Stanback said the shooter, was apprehended and disarmed of a small handgun by other National Guard members before police arrived. Their efforts likely saved others from being shot.

"I'm sure there could have been more (injuries) if they hadn't taken him into custody," Stanback said.

The sprawling base, known as Naval Support Activity Mid-South, is located in Millington, near Memphis, and is one of Tennessee's largest employers. More than 7,500 military and civilians work at the facility, which serves as a center for Navy personnel, logistical support, recruiting and as a finance center for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Thursday's incident comes just six weeks after Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people and injured three others in a mass shooting at Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. Alexis, a government contractor and Navy veteran, died during a gunfight with police.

Gang reports for the Nashville Tennessean.

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