3 arrested, including an active-duty Fort Stewart soldier, following fatal Hinesville shooting

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - [UPDATE 12:10 p.m. 12/4/2025] An active duty soldier stationed at Fort Stewart has been arrested and charged with murder and armed robbery. We reached out to Fort Stewart officials for comment following the announcement, who told us they are aware of this arrest.

Military officials told us Army Pfc. Laron McDonald, a cannon crewmember, has been serving at Fort Stewart for 15 months and has no previous deployments.

Stick with WTOC as we continue to learn more.

[UPDATE 11:10 a.m. 12/4/2025] The Hinesville Police Department has arrested three people, including an active-duty soldier assigned to Fort Stewart in connection to Wednesday’s fatal shooting.

Laron McDonald, an active-duty soldier assigned to Fort Stewart, Daivion Bell of Jesup, and Dakarri Roberson of Jesup, were all arrested following an investigation into this incident.

All three have been charged with armed robbery and murder, taken into custody and booked into the Liberty County Jail.

Hinesville Police says this remains an active investigation.

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Hinesville Police Detective Division at (912) 368-8211, option 5 or to leave an anonymous tip, option 9.

This update made possible by a contribution from the Coastal News Service.

[UPDATE 3:16 p.m. 12/3/2025] The victim in Wednesday’s afternoon shooting in downtown Hinesville has died, according to Hinesville Police Chief Tracy Howard.

[UPDATE 2:57 p.m. 12/3/2025] One person was injured Wednesday afternoon after being shot in Hinesville’s downtown area.

According to Hinesville Police Chief Tracy Howard, the victim was a passenger in a white sedan when he was shot near a traffic circle located at the intersection of Memorial Drive and South Main streets shortly before 1:00 p.m. The driver of the vehicle crashed into a pole.

The victim was transported to Liberty Regional Medical Center for treatment

Three suspects have been detained on Georgia Ave and Gen. Stewart Way not far from the shooting scene.

Chief Howard said the driver of the vehicle is currently being questioned.

The area is a large crime scene, according to Chief Howard, and will be closed for an undetermined amount of time.

This update made possible by a contribution from the Coastal News Service.

[ORIGINAL STORY] The Hinesville Police Department is currently investigating an active shooting that occurred on Memorial Drive near the traffic circle, according to a social media post by the department.

Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

In a previous post, officials said preliminary information indicates that this appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no direct threat to the general public.

However, the more recent update by Hinesville Police says, “Please steer clear of Memorial Drive from all directions, as well as the surrounding streets, while officers are on scene.”

Additional details will be released as they become available. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact our agency.

WTOC is working to learn more about this situation and will update this page as new information becomes available.