A 28-year-old specialist has been charged with murder in the Monday workplace shooting death of Sgt. Nathan M. Hillman at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Spc. Shay A. Wilson, 28, an infantryman assigned to 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry division faces the charge, according to a statement provided by Fort Stewart officials. Hillman was assigned to the same unit.
RELATED
The installation was briefly put on lockdown after reports of a shooting at the brigade’s complex on Monday. Wilson was taken into custody by law enforcement shortly after the shooting, which officials say took place shortly before 10 a.m.
Wilson allegedly shot Hillman with a privately-owned weapon during an incident at the brigade complex, according to the statement. The specialist was “quickly subdued” by other soldiers in the “immediate area.”
Hillman, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist from Plum, Pennsylvania, died in the shooting.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jaime Lopez, the brigade’s top enlisted noncommissioned officer, told unit members on Monday following the incident that the suspect was a soldier who brought a weapon into a unit building and shot an NCO. A soldier from the battalion described the announcement to Army Times, requesting anonymity to discuss the speech.
Brigade commander Col. Ethan Diven, described the Hillman’s death as “tragic and unexpected.”
“With deepest sorrow our hearts are with the Families and units involved in the incident,” Diven said in a statement accompanying the release. “Providing support to the impacted Families and Soldiers is our first priority.”
Hillman enlisted in the Army in February 2015 and had deployed to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division.
The sergeant’s individual awards and badges included two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and the Air Assault Badge. He joined Fort Stewart’s 2nd ABCT in July 2021, Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson told Army Times.
Wilson had no deployments nor any awards or decorations, according to an Army statement. His home of record is listed as Cambria Heights, New York.
Wilson is currently in custody. The incident remains under investigation, no further information will be released until the investigation is completed, according to the statement.
Larson had previously offered information on counseling resources available to troops struggling with Hillman’s death.
“Winn Army Community Hospital will make Behavioral Health Counseling available in response to [Monday]’s incident. Appointment can be made through the Soldiers’ assigned unit or by calling the main appointment line at 435-6633,” he said.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
