Quornelius Samentrio Radford, 28, has been identified as the suspect in the Fort Stewart shooting that left five soldiers injured on Wednesday morning. The incident took place at the U.S. Army base in Georgia. Radford was quickly subdued and taken into custody at the scene.
Who is Quornelius Samentrio Radford?
Radford is an automated logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He has no known combat history.
Prior DUI Arrest Went Unnoticed by Command
In May, Radford was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) during a traffic stop in Liberty County, Georgia. However, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, his chain of command was unaware of the arrest until after the shooting.
“I do believe he was arrested locally for a DUI. That was unknown to his chain of command until the event occurred and we and we started looking into the law enforcement databases,” Lubas said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
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Shooter Used Personal Handgun
Radford used a personally owned handgun, not a military-issued weapon, during the attack.
{{/usCountry}}Radford used a personally owned handgun, not a military-issued weapon, during the attack.
{{/usCountry}}“I can I can confirm it was not a military weapon. And we believe it was a personal handgun,” Lubas told reporters. “We’re going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of duty.”
No Known Behavioral Issues Prior to Incident
Military officials say there were no known behavioral red flags prior to the shooting.
“It’s early in the investigation, but not that I’m currently aware of,” Lubas said.
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Soldiers Subdued the Shooter
Soldiers nearby acted immediately to stop the shooting. They tackled and subdued Radford, allowing military police to detain him.
“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 said at the press conference.
Motive Remains Unclear
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation. Radford has been interviewed by Army investigators.
“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,” Lubas said.