The Army soldier accused of shooting five other service members in Fort Stewart, Georgia, was 28 years old on Wednesday and has been assigned to a Georgia base for about three years, officials said.
Sergeant. Quornelius Radford, a 28-year-old automatic logistics sergeant from Jacksonville, Florida, is accused of launching the fire before 11am
Investigators were trying to determine their motives.
Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield Commander Brigg. General John Levas said Radford used a personal handgun and the people he worked with were involved in the shooting.
“All we know is that this soldier, the gunfire happened at the soldier's workplace. It involved his colleagues,” Lubas told reporters on Wednesday. “We're not sure about our motivation yet.”
Five injured soldiers are expected to recover, Rubas said. They were hospitalized and remained stable on Wednesday afternoon.
Suspects are not deployed in combat
Radford was a logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart.
He joined the Army in January 2018 as an automated logistics specialist and has been assigned to Fort Stewart since 2022, the military said.
Radford is not deployed in combat. He was assigned to one of the sustaining forces of the 2nd Brigade.
According to the Army website, the Army's automatic logistics include supply and equipment oversight, as well as maintenance of supply data and records.
The shooter used a personal handgun and worked on it.
Radford used personal handguns in the shooting, not military weapons, Lubus said.
“Immediately, without hesitation,” the soldiers in the area who saw the shooting worked to tackle the shoot and acted to conquer him until law enforcement arrived, Rubas said.
“These soldiers definitely hindered further victims,” he said.
Part of the investigation will determine how the gun entered the base, Rubus said.
“We have security guards armed with protective gear so we can see here at our gates,” he said.
There is no known discipline, the unknown dui
Rubas said he was unaware of military disciplinary action on Wednesday after the shooting, but he said it was an early stage in the investigation.
A May arrest report from Liberty County, Georgia shows he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol charging.
Lubus said Wednesday that the military believed Radford was “arrested locally for drunk driving, unknown to his chain of command, until the event occurred, and we and we have begun to look into the law enforcement database.”
Fort Stewart is located in Liberty County.
According to a report from the Sheriff's Office, the arrest agency in that case was the Georgia Highway Patrol Post in Hinesville. The arrest time for May 18th is listed at 1:02am. The fees were listed as required traffic management equipment and submission to the DUI. The record shows that it was released after he posted a $1,818 bond set.
Secretary of Defense calls for “co-sick” shooting
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses called the shooting “co-disease” and said there was “quick justice.” He was grateful that all five soldiers were expected to survive.
“We have a deep appreciation for the at-risk law enforcement heroes,” writes Hegses in X.
Radford on Wednesday was in pretrial confinement awaiting a request decision by the special trial lawyer's office, Lubus said. He was interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Department, Rubas said.
President Donald Trump said at an event Wednesday that he was praying for the victims. He said the two injured were “very seriously injured.”
“The whole country is praying for the victims and their families. Hopefully they will recover in full,” Trump said.
“I'll never forget what happened,” Trump said. “We're going to take great care of those who did this. A scary person.”
The phone number of a relative in Radford, Jacksonville, was not immediately found in a search of public records on Wednesday.
Fort Stewart is approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah.