Army officials identified 28-year-old Sergeant Quornelius Radford as the man who authorities suspect shot five fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Wednesday morning, according to details shared during a press conference.
Officials reported that Radford, who serves as an automated logistics sergeant with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, fired a personal handgun at other troops before fellow service members overpowered him, stated Brig. Gen. John Lubas, who commands the 3rd Infantry Division.
Quornelius Radford was arrested for driving under the influence in May.
“Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the soldier, subdued him. That allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody,” Lubas told reporters.
The shooting occurred within the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area and triggered a base-wide lockdown that extended slightly beyond one hour. Officials noted that law enforcement officers captured the shooter at 11:35 a.m., shortly after authorities dispatched them at 10:56 a.m. for reports of a possible shooting.
The shooting wounded Radford’s colleagues, sending three to surgery while medical personnel transported two others to Memorial Hospital in Savannah for further treatment. Lubas reported that all five victims remain in stable condition and doctors expect them to make full recoveries.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division has interviewed Radford, who “is currently in pretrial confinement awaiting a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel,” Lubas explained. Military officials are now investigating Radford’s motives, which remain unclear, along with examining how he managed to bring a personal weapon onto the base. Despite the incident, Lubas expressed that he remains “very confident in the security of this installation.”
“We’re still not certain about the motivation, but again, he’s been interviewed by Army investigators and we believe we’ll gain more information here shortly,” he said.
CNN reported earlier Tuesday that authorities had previously arrested Radford for driving under the influence in May, though his chain of command remained unaware of the arrest until after the shooting occurred, Lubas revealed.
“I do believe he was arrested locally for a DUI. That was unknown to his chain of command until the event occurred and we started looking into the law enforcement databases,” he told reporters.
Lubas also stated that he currently has no knowledge of any other disciplinary or behavioral issues involving Radford.
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