Army sergeant faces June court-martial for Georgia base shootings after pleading to some charges

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — An Army sergeant accused of shooting and wounding five co-workers at a Georgia base last summer faces a trial by court-martial June 15 after he pleaded guilty to some of the charges against him.

Sgt. Quornelius Radford told a military judge at his plea hearing last week that he used a personal handgun to shoot four fellow soldiers in his supply unit at Fort Stewart on Aug. 6 following an argument with his romantic partner, a civilian who was also among the victims.

Bystanders disarmed and restrained Radford before police arrived.

Radford, 29, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence, WTOC-TV reported. The judge then scheduled him to stand trial this summer on the remaining charges of attempted murder.

Defense attorneys had previously told the judge that Radford also planned to plead guilty to two counts of attempted murder. Instead, the accused soldier insisted during his March 31 plea hearing he’s not guilty of those charges, telling the judge that he had no intent to kill anyone.

Radford testified he fired at his co-workers in hopes that he would be killed in a shootout with military police, WSAV-TV reported.

The largest Army post east of the Mississippi River, Fort Stewart is home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. It is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah.

Radford served as a supply sergeant in the division’s 2nd Armored Brigade. Army records show he enlisted in 2018.