A military court-martial has been set for June 15 for an Army sergeant who opened fire on colleagues at Fort Stewart, Georgia last summer, injuring five people including his romantic partner.
During a plea hearing last week, 29-year-old Sgt. Quornelius Radford admitted to a military judge that he shot four soldiers from his supply unit and one civilian on August 6, using his own handgun after a dispute with his girlfriend. Other personnel at the scene subdued and disarmed Radford until authorities could respond.
While Radford entered guilty pleas for aggravated assault and domestic violence charges, he rejected the attempted murder counts during his March 31 hearing. He told the court he never intended to cause deaths, according to WTOC-TV.
The defendant revealed during testimony that he hoped military police would kill him in return gunfire when he attacked his coworkers, WSAV-TV reported.
Defense lawyers had initially indicated Radford would accept responsibility for two attempted murder charges, but the sergeant changed course and will now face trial on those counts this summer.
Radford worked as a supply sergeant within the 2nd Armored Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division and joined the military in 2018, according to Army documentation. Fort Stewart houses the largest Army installation on the eastern side of the Mississippi River, accommodating thousands of 3rd Infantry Division personnel approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah.
