Suspected Fort Stewart shooter charged, one victim was his 'intimate partner'
Army prosecutors charged Sgt. Quornelius Radford with six attempted murders, among other charges.
ATLANTA – Army prosecutors filed attempted murder charges on Aug. 12 against a sergeant on allegations he shot five fellow soldiers and tried to shoot a sixth at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Aug. 6.
One of the victims was an "intimate partner" of the defendant, Sgt. Quornelius Radford, according to Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. (Paste BN customarily withholds the names of victims in alleged cases of domestic violence.)
Radford also faces an array of specifications (akin to counts in civilian courts) under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to Maj. Charlie Egan, spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division. They are:
◾Two specifications of attempted premeditated murder.
◾Four specifications of attempted unpremeditated murder.
◾One specification of domestic violence.
◾Three specifications of aggravated assault inflicting grievous bodily harm.
◾Three specifications of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon.
Radford could not be reached for comment and court records for his case are not available in the docket.
Investigators say that on Aug. 6, the 28-year-old automated logistical noncommissioned officer shot five soldiers at his Fort Stewart workplace – the company operations facility of the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion. Radford used a personal handgun, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, who commands Fort Stewart and the 3rd Infantry Division.
Radford will remain jailed in Charleston, South Carolina, in the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston until his trial, Egan said. The military justice system does not use cash bail. Instead, it weighs whether a member is likely to flee or harm others in determining whether to keep a person in custody during the court-martial process.
The domestic violence charge offers a possible indication of how prosecutors might explain Radford's motive. At an Aug. 7 ceremony honoring soldiers who intervened in the shooting, Army officials declined to comment on Radford's motive. The Army's Criminal Investigation Division did not respond to questions for this story.
Radford was experiencing personal issues before the shooting. His father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that his son had complained about racism at his workplace at Fort Stewart and wanted to transfer from his unit. The sergeant also faced an Aug. 20 court date in Liberty County, Georgia, for a DUI arrest in May.
Contributing: Michael Loria