Kansas soldier stops active shooter, credited with saving 'countless lives'

KANSAS CITY, Kansas -- Authorities in Kansas are praising a soldier for stopping an active shooter.

According to KMBC-TV, the suspect was firing guns at passing cars on Centennial Bridge in Leavenworth Wednesday morning when the soldier, who was in traffic, drove into him.

Police received reports of gunshots fired on the bridge and had initially thought they were a case of road rage.

Officials said the shooter used both a hand gun and semi-automatic rifle.

Authorities credit the Fort Leavenworth soldier's action with saving countless lives.

"As it turned out and the investigation unfolded, we learned that this was an active shooter with multiple weapons on the bridge firing at cars with no particular association," Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said. "There was an active duty soldier assigned to Fort Leavenworth waiting in traffic behind the event, saw the event unfold, determined there was an active shooter and intervened by striking the shooter with his vehicle, causing him to be critically injured, but ending the encounter with the active shooter and likely saving countless lives."

The suspect was pinned under a car when authorities arrived.

Police also found a victim, another active duty soldier at Fort Leavenworth, on the scene who had been shot.

Both the victim and shooter were taken to a Kansas City hospital in serious condition.

Kitchens told KMBC the suspected shooter is a Platte County, Missouri resident.