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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Fort Stewart shooting suspect was a hard worker who had been bullied over his stutter, Army soldiers say
The soldier accused of opening fire Wednesday at his Army base in Georgia, wounding five people, had endured relentless bullying over his stutter almost as soon as he joined the military, former co-workers said. Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, was picked on during the roughly two months in 2018 he spent at the Army's Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school at Fort Lee in Virginia, according to two people who served with him there. 'He got bullied a lot,' said Sgt. Cameron Barrett, 28, who became friends with Radford during that time. 'It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk.' Barrett said people would mock Radford by also pretending to have a stutter. He said the apparent speech impediment was a 'trigger' for Radford, who endured the mocking by being silent. Still, Radford showed no signs of anger, resentment or deeper issues, Barrett and other fellow soldiers said. And to those who got to know him, the reserved Radford shared a goofier and playful side, they said. So, they said, the Wednesday morning shooting at Fort Stewart came as a complete shock. When reports of an active shooter on base first surfaced, Barrett said he sent Radford a message on Snapchat, asking if he was OK. Radford did not respond. Hours later, Army officials identified Radford as the man suspected of using his personal handgun to allegedly shoot five of his co-workers shortly before 11 a.m. Radford worked as a logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is based at Fort Stewart. The wounded soldiers were in stable condition Wednesday and are expected to recover. Three of the victims were released from hospitals on Wednesday, while two more, both women, were still being treated on Thursday, officials said. It's unclear whether the victims were subordinates or superiors of Radford. Army officials said a motive was unclear, as the investigation is ongoing. Radford, an automated logistical specialist assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, was tackled and subdued by fellow soldiers, which ended his alleged shooting rampage. Radford remained in custody Thursday and has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The Jacksonville, Florida, native joined the Army in January 2018 and has not been deployed to combat, records showed. Some soldiers who met him that year in AIT school were left shocked and confused. They said Radford appeared laid back, despite being teased for his stutter. 'It was easy for those people to make fun of him for the way he spoke,' said Sgt. Carlos Coleman, who was in the same formation as Radford during that training. 'After that, he really didn't speak that much.' 'I just saw him get quiet,' Coleman, 27, added. 'I've never seen him angry. That's why I'm so surprised.' Barrett and Coleman said something else must have happened, since it had been years since the initial military bullying. 'I have questions, too,' Coleman said. 'I just want to know what pushed him to that point.' Coleman, who is now based in Washington state, said he stayed friends with Radford on Facebook and remembers Radford's last post on Jan. 28, when he expressed deep, residual heartache over losing a loved one in a wrong-way crash. 'I remember I couldn't speak after hearing that,' Radford wrote, according to a screenshot that Coleman shared with NBC News. Radford wrote that he cried and drank to 'make that pain feeling go away.' He described the loved one as a safe haven and someone who cared deeply about his present and future. 'I know you tried to keep me on a good path when I was hanging out in the streets,' he wrote. 'I remember the nights you were scared when I was going down that road and I'm truly sorry for putting you through that.' Radford's former co-workers described him as a normal and playful person and a hardworking soldier. 'He was good as a soldier and a person, to me,' Coleman said. 'There were never any red flags about him. He did what he was told.' In a Facebook post that has since been taken down, QuaSondra Cobb, who used to work with Radford, shared a video of the two racing to be the first to eat a Fruit by the Foot snack last year. 'It was lunch time and we were just goofing around,' Cobb told NBC News. 'My interactions with him were always like that.' Cobb, who was Radford's superior until roughly a year ago, when they both moved to different units, said she was heartbroken and at a loss for words. Radford, she said, didn't show stress or anger and did not appear to have issues with co-workers. 'I've never gotten that from him,' she said. 'He was a hard worker. If he had any issues, he would come to me, ask for advice. I just didn't see that coming.' Radford's father, Eddie Radford, could not be reached Thursday and declined to comment Wednesday evening, telling NBC News it was a 'bad time' to talk. The suspect's father told The New York Times that his son had been trying to transfer out of Fort Stewart, where he had experienced racism. Eddie Radford said his son texted his aunt Wednesday morning, saying that 'he loved everybody, and that he'll be in a better place because he was about to go and do something,' the Times reported. This article was originally published on
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Who is Quornelius Radford, the Fort Stewart shooter from Jacksonville? Here's what we know
A Fort Stewart U.S. Army sergeant identified as the man who wounded five soldiers in an Aug. 6 shooting at the Georgia base was a noncommissioned officer from Jacksonville who recently got into trouble with the law. Officials at the U.S. Army post said Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, worked at the base as an automated logistics noncommissioned officer with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. They said Radford used his personal handgun when he opened fire on his colleagues that morning. Radford is in pretrial confinement awaiting charges, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Fellow soldiers responded swiftly, tackling Radford to the ground, Army Brig. Gen. John Lubas said at a news conference, adding that soldiers likely "prevented further casualties." The wounded soldiers were in stable condition and expected to recover. As the base reels from the shocking attack, investigators are interviewing Radford and looking into his life and a possible motive. Here's what we know about him so far: Recent run-in with the law Radford was arrested in May for driving under the influence in Liberty County, the area where Fort Stewart is located. "That was unknown to his chain of command until the [shooting] occurred," Lubas said. Georgia State Patrol arrested Radford on May 18 for driving under the influence of alcohol and running a red light, Liberty County court records show. He was driving a 2021 Nissan Altima with Florida plates, according to court records. Georgia state court records in Glynn County, about an hour south of Fort Stewart, showed that he was also fined $90 for speeding on Dec. 13, 2024. How long was Quornelius Radford stationed at the base? Radford, who grew up in Florida, had been stationed at Fort Stewart since 2022 and was not previously deployed to combat, Lubas said. Soldiers in Radford's field typically manage maintenance or warehouse operations by placing orders and tracking work in Army computer systems. He does not appear in any Duval, Clay, Nassau or St. Johns county court records, according to a Florida Times-Union search. Radford, who also goes by Quan, went to Ed White High in Jacksonville according to his Facebook. What do we know about a possible motive? Military officials said they would not speculate about a motive. "I don't have reason to believe that it had anything to do with a training event," Lubas said. "Other than that, I can't state the motivations for this soldier." Eddie Radford, the suspect's father, told the The New York Times that he hadn't noticed anything unusual about his son's behavior and didn't know what might have led to the violent attack. "It's hard for me to process," Eddie Radford told the Times, adding that his son had been seeking a transfer and complained to his family of racism at Fort Stewart. Contributing: Davis Winkie, Jeanine Santucci, Christopher Cann, Ansley Franco, Thao Nguyen, Amanda Lee Myers, Scott Butler; Reuters
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
Fort Stewart shooting suspect was a hard worker who had been bullied over his stutter, Army soldiers say
The soldier accused of opening fire Wednesday at his Army base in Georgia, wounding five people, had endured relentless bullying over his stutter almost as soon as he joined the military, former co-workers said. Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, was picked on during the roughly two months in 2018 he spent at the Army's Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school at Fort Lee in Virginia, according to two people who served with him there. 'He got bullied a lot,' said Sgt. Cameron Barrett, 28, who became friends with Radford during that time. 'It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk.' Barrett said people would mock Radford by also pretending to have a stutter. He said the apparent speech impediment was a 'trigger' for Radford, who endured the mocking by being silent. Still, Radford showed no signs of anger, resentment or deeper issues, Barrett and other fellow soldiers said. And to those who got to know him, the reserved Radford shared a goofier and playful side, they said. So, they said, the Wednesday morning shooting at Fort Stewart came as a complete shock. When reports of an active shooter on base first surfaced, Barrett said he sent Radford a message on Snapchat, asking if he was OK. Radford did not respond. Hours later, Army officials identified Radford as the man suspected of using his personal handgun to allegedly shoot five of his co-workers shortly before 11 a.m. Radford worked as a logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is based at Fort Stewart. The wounded soldiers were in stable condition Wednesday and are expected to recover. Three of the victims were released from hospitals on Wednesday, while two more, both women, were still being treated on Thursday, officials said. It's unclear whether the victims were subordinates or superiors of Radford. Army officials said a motive was unclear, as the investigation is ongoing. Radford, an automated logistical specialist assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, was tackled and subdued by fellow soldiers, which ended his alleged shooting rampage. Radford remained in custody Thursday and has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The Jacksonville, Florida, native joined the Army in January 2018 and has not been deployed to combat, records showed. Some soldiers who met him that year in AIT school were left shocked and confused. They said Radford appeared laid back, despite being teased for his stutter. 'It was easy for those people to make fun of him for the way he spoke,' said Sgt. Carlos Coleman, who was in the same formation as Radford during that training. 'After that, he really didn't speak that much.' 'I just saw him get quiet,' Coleman, 27, added. 'I've never seen him angry. That's why I'm so surprised.' Barrett and Coleman said something else must have happened, since it had been years since the initial military bullying. 'I have questions, too,' Coleman said. 'I just want to know what pushed him to that point.' Coleman, who is now based in Washington state, said he stayed friends with Radford on Facebook and remembers Radford's last post on Jan. 28, when he expressed deep, residual heartache over losing a loved one in a wrong-way crash. 'I remember I couldn't speak after hearing that,' Radford wrote, according to a screenshot that Coleman shared with NBC News. Radford wrote that he cried and drank to 'make that pain feeling go away.' He described the loved one as a safe haven and someone who cared deeply about his present and future. 'I know you tried to keep me on a good path when I was hanging out in the streets,' he wrote. 'I remember the nights you were scared when I was going down that road and I'm truly sorry for putting you through that.' Radford's former co-workers described him as a normal and playful person and a hardworking soldier. 'He was good as a soldier and a person, to me,' Coleman said. 'There were never any red flags about him. He did what he was told.' In a Facebook post that has since been taken down, QuaSondra Cobb, who used to work with Radford, shared a video of the two racing to be the first to eat a Fruit by the Foot snack last year. 'It was lunch time and we were just goofing around,' Cobb told NBC News. 'My interactions with him were always like that.' Cobb, who was Radford's superior until roughly a year ago, when they both moved to different units, said she was heartbroken and at a loss for words. Radford, she said, didn't show stress or anger and did not appear to have issues with co-workers. 'I've never gotten that from him,' she said. 'He was a hard worker. If he had any issues, he would come to me, ask for advice. I just didn't see that coming.' Radford's father, Eddie Radford, could not be reached Thursday and declined to comment Wednesday evening, telling NBC News it was a 'bad time' to talk. The suspect's father told The New York Times that his son had been trying to transfer out of Fort Stewart, where he had experienced racism. Eddie Radford said his son texted his aunt Wednesday morning, saying that 'he loved everybody, and that he'll be in a better place because he was about to go and do something,' the Times reported.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Unarmed Fort Stewart soldiers tackled, subdued gunman who was "shooting their buddies," Army secretary says
Unarmed soldiers rushed a fellow service member who allegedly opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said Thursday. Five soldiers were wounded in the shooting, and the suspect, a sergeant at the Army base, is in custody. "They were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers," Driscoll told reporters Thursday morning. The suspect, identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford, is being held in pretrial custody awaiting charges. According to his service record, the suspect joined the Army in 2018 and is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Officials had said the shooting happened in the combat team's area at the base. The suspect, identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford, is being held in pretrial custody awaiting charges. According to his service record, the suspect enlisted in the Army in 2018 and is in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. Officials had said the shooting happened in the combat team's area at the fort. "We train for this on the battlefield, and it's a different situation when it happens on an installation with one of your own," Brig. Gen. John Lubas said. Lubas said that the suspect used his personal weapon in the shooting. Six soldiers were given the Meritorious Service Medal for their actions during the shooting: 1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Sgt. Eve Rodarte, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas and Sgt. Aaron Turner. "It's our training that kicked in," Arnold told reporters. "Mine kicked in, and you just go to work." Taylor said she was in her office at the opposite end of the building and heard Arnold yell about gunshots. She left her office and saw smoke at the end of a hallway. "I noticed there was a soldier laying on the ground, so I immediately sprinted over to the soldier and started rendering aid," she said. Three of the five soldiers wounded in the shooting have been released, said Lubas, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart. Two soldiers are still hospitalized but are expected to make a full recovery. One soldier is receiving treatment at the hospital on base and another soldier is at a hospital in Savannah, about 40 miles away. Soldiers used their training to quickly stop the bleeding until ambulances arrived. "When we spoke to the surgeons in the hospital, it was clear that the actions they took, primarily stopping that bleeding before they were loaded up into ambulances and quickly evacuated to Winn Army Medical, certainly saved their lives," Lubas said. The Army Criminal Investigative Division is investigating the shooting.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Who is Quornelius Radford? What we know about the Fort Stewart shooting suspect
The soldier accused of shooting five other service members at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Wednesday is a 28-year-old sergeant who had been assigned to the base for around three years, officials said. Quornelius Radford, an automated logistics sergeant from Jacksonville, Florida, is accused of opening fire shortly before 11 a.m. Investigators were trying to determine a motive. the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield commander, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, said that the suspect used a personal handgun and that the shooting involved people he worked with. 'What we know is this soldier, the shooting occurred at the soldier's place of work. It did involve his co-workers,' Lubas told reporters Wednesday. 'We're still not certain about the motivations.' The five wounded soldiers are expected to recover, Lubas said. They were hospitalized and were stable Wednesday afternoon. Suspect hasn't deployed to combat Radford was a logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is based at Fort Stewart. He joined the Army as an automated logistical specialist in January 2018 and has been assigned to Fort Stewart since 2022, the military said. Radford has not been deployed to combat. He was assigned to one of the sustainment units in the 2nd Brigade. Automated logistics in the Army involves overseeing supplies and equipment and maintenance of supply data and records, according to the Army's website. Shooter used personal handgun, was tackled Radford used a personal handgun, not a military weapon, Lubas said. Soldiers in the area who saw the shooting "immediately and without hesitation" acted to tackle the shooter and subdue him until law enforcement arrives, Lubas said. "These soldiers, without a doubt, prevented further casualties," he said. Part of the investigation will determine how the gun entered the base, Lubas said. "As you can see here at our gates, we have armed guards in protective equipment," he said. "This one's a bit difficult, and we're going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of duty." No known discipline; DUI was unknown Lubas said that he was not aware of any military disciplinary actions concerning Radford, but he said it was early in the investigation. A May arrest and booking report from the Liberty County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office shows a Quornelius Radford was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Lubas said the military believes Radford 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." Fort Stewart is in Liberty County. The sheriff's report says the arresting agency in that case was the Georgia Highway Patrol post in Hinesville. It lists an arrest time of 1:02 a.m. May 18. The charges were listed as obedience to a traffic control device required and DUI. The record shows he was released after he posted a bond set at $1,818. Defense secretary calls shooting 'cowardly' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the shooting "cowardly" and said there would be "swift justice." He expressed thanks that all five soldiers were expected to survive. "We owe profound gratitude to the law enforcement heroes who charged into danger," Hegseth wrote on X. "Swift justice will be brought to the perpetrator and anyone else found to be involved." Lubas said Radford was in pretrial confinement Wednesday awaiting a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel. He has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Lubas said. President Donald Trump said he was praying for the victims. He said two of wounded were "very, very seriously hurt." "The entire nation is praying for the victims and their families, and hopefully they'll fully recover," Trump said. "We're not going to forget what happened," Trump said. "We're going to take very good care of the person who did this. Horrible person." Phone numbers for any relatives of Radford's in Jacksonville could not immediately be found in a search of public records Wednesday. Fort Stewart is about 40 miles southwest of Savannah. This article was originally published on
