Active duty soldier saves lives after stopping active shooter on Centennial Bridge in Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH, KS (KCTV) – When a man started shooting at drivers on the Centennial Bridge in Leavenworth, an active duty Fort Leavenworth soldier took action.

Multiple police agencies were called to the bridge around 11 a.m. Wednesday after motorists reported hearing multiple gunshots fired on the bridge.

Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said a man got out of his vehicle while waiting in construction traffic in Leavenworth and started shooting. He shot a soldier in a nearby vehicle on the bridge and bullets hit several other cars, but no one inside was hurt.

“He shot through the window and almost hit a girl,” Charles Jordan who heard gunshots said.

Another Fort Leavenworth soldier was stuck in traffic behind the shooter. When he saw the 37-year-old suspect from Platte County firing, he used his vehicle to hit the shooter. The suspect was trapped underneath.

“It is quite clear he intervened and saved countless people from being shot or wounded,” Kitchens said.

Jordan heard the shots. He says everyone on the bridge is fortunate the soldier knew how to stop the suspect from hurting anyone else.

“He has to get a lot of kudos for what he did. Saving a lot of lives,” Jordan said.

The suspect and the soldier who was shot are expected to recover from serious injuries.

Investigators recovered a handgun and semiautomatic rifle from the suspect. So far they have not released a possible motive.

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