A family of four was found dead in their on-post home at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Wednesday in what authorities are calling an isolated incident.
A soldier, her spouse and their two children were found deceased by authorities at approximately 2 p.m., according to a press release from the installation that was released on Thursday.
The soldier's unit requested a welfare check and Fort Stewart military police responded to the scene, the base said. The individuals were pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m. on the day they were found. Fort Stewart law enforcement and the Army's Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the deaths.
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The press release did not state how the individuals died. Per policy, the installation will not release the identities of the deceased until next of kin are notified.
"This is an isolated incident; there is no threat to the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield community," the press release said. "As the investigation is in progress, no additional information can be provided at this time."
Kevin Larson, Fort Stewart's chief of public communications, told Military.com that there would be an update, but did not say when it would be released or if the next of kin had been notified as of Thursday afternoon. The welfare check was requested the same day that the family was found deceased.
As to when exactly and why the welfare check was requested, Larson said those details would not be released yet as they are "part of the investigative process."
Fort Stewart is a sprawling installation -- roughly 288,000 acres -- located in the town of Hinesville just southwest of Savannah, Georgia. It is home to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. The installation also claims Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, which "plays a critical role in the post's deployment capabilities," according to Fort Stewart's website.
Between the airfield and the installation, Stewart-Hunter employs over 25,000 people, including 21,200 soldiers. Nearly 20,000 military retirees live in the community.
Last year, a medical evacuation pilot was killed in a helicopter crash at Fort Stewart. It involved two Black Hawks and the incident was ruled a suicide, according to previous reporting by Military.com.
In 2019, three soldiers were killed at the installation when their Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over and submerged into a stream, officials at the time said.
-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on X @df_lawrence.
