Latest news with #3rdInfantryDivision
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
Minutes before gunfire erupted at Fort Stewart, the shooting suspect texted his family saying ‘I love y'all,' uncle says
'I just want y'all to know that I love y'all, and I tried my hardest to be the best I could be,' Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford texted his relatives at least 20 minutes before he began shooting at fellow soldiers earlier this week at his military base in Georgia. 'My time is slowly coming to an end. I choose my destiny and my faith. I might not be with my mama, but I'm gonna be in a better place,' the enigmatic group text message read, his uncle, Joe Mitchell, told CNN affiliate WTLV. Radford, 28, wounded five of his peers at Fort Stewart Army base with a personal handgun before he was subdued by other soldiers nearby, authorities have said. All five soldiers are in stable condition, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, said at a news conference Wednesday. 'Please don't talk like that,' one message in response to Radford said. 'Call me, don't talk like this bro,' another said. 'Don't do whatever going on, you gonna be okay,' a different family member wrote. But despite desperate pleas from family members, what unfolded after Radford's messages has left many loved ones with looming questions over what led up to the shooting, his motive, and how someone they know to be a kind and loving family guy could commit such violence. Radford joined the Army in 2018 as an automated logistical specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the US Army said. His role involved handling supplies and warehouse operations and he had not deployed to a combat zone, Lubas, the general said. The native Floridian had been arrested for driving under the influence in May – an arrest his chain of command didn't know about before the incident, Lubas said. Radford had no known behavioral incidents in his military record, according to the general. A day before the shooting, Radford had a disagreement with one of the shooting victims, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the case. It's unclear what the disagreement was about. He followed that coworker to a maintenance area on Wednesday and shot him in the chest before shooting four others. While Radford's motive remains unknown, details about his character and issues he faced in and out of the workplace have emerged from loved ones and former coworkers. His father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that he hadn't noticed any unusual behavior from his son recently and didn't know what might have motivated the shooting. He did, however, say his son had complained to the family about racism at Fort Stewart and had been seeking a transfer, according to the Times, which did not publish any specifics. CNN has reached out to Eddie Radford for more information. Fort Stewart declined to comment on the racism allegation and whether Radford had requested a transfer. 'The circumstances that led to the events (on Wednesday) are currently under investigation,' a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division told CNN. As Radford's military career began in 2018, so did relentless bullying over his stutter, two former coworkers told NBC. Sneh Patel, an attorney that represented Radford during his DUI case, also confirmed to CNN that 'he has a stuttering condition,' although he wouldn't disclose much more due to client-attorney privilege, he said. 'He got bullied a lot,' Sgt. Cameron Barrett, who became friends with Radford during an Army training program, told NBC. 'It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk.' People would mock Radford by also pretending to have a stutter, Barrett said, adding the apparent speech impediment was a 'trigger' for Radford, but he endured the treatment by being silent, showing no signs of anger or resentment, Barrett and other soldiers told the network. CNN has reached out to those soldiers for more information. Since the shooting, Radford has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and is now sitting in pretrial confinement as he waits for a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel, Lubas said Wednesday afternoon. As for his family, Mitchell told WTLV he's still asking himself questions, even days after the shooting. 'I was just one phone call away,' Mitchell said. 'I wish we could have talked about it, and it would have never happened. But we just leave it in God's hands.' CNN's Danya Gainor and Mark Morales contributed to this report.
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Minutes before gunfire erupted at Fort Stewart, the shooting suspect texted his family saying ‘I love y'all,' uncle says
Crime Gun violenceFacebookTweetLink Follow 'I just want y'all to know that I love y'all, and I tried my hardest to be the best I could be,' Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford texted his relatives at least 20 minutes before he began shooting at fellow soldiers earlier this week at his military base in Georgia. 'My time is slowly coming to an end. I choose my destiny and my faith. I might not be with my mama, but I'm gonna be in a better place,' the enigmatic group text message read, his uncle, Joe Mitchell, told CNN affiliate WTLV. Radford, 28, wounded five of his peers at Fort Stewart Army base with a personal handgun before he was subdued by other soldiers nearby, authorities have said. All five soldiers are in stable condition, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, said at a news conference Wednesday. 'Please don't talk like that,' one message in response to Radford said. 'Call me, don't talk like this bro,' another said. 'Don't do whatever going on, you gonna be okay,' a different family member wrote. But despite desperate pleas from family members, what unfolded after Radford's messages has left many loved ones with looming questions over what led up to the shooting, his motive, and how someone they know to be a kind and loving family guy could commit such violence. Radford joined the Army in 2018 as an automated logistical specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the US Army said. His role involved handling supplies and warehouse operations and he had not deployed to a combat zone, Lubas, the general said. The native Floridian had been arrested for driving under the influence in May – an arrest his chain of command didn't know about before the incident, Lubas said. Radford had no known behavioral incidents in his military record, according to the general. A day before the shooting, Radford had a disagreement with one of the shooting victims, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the case. It's unclear what the disagreement was about. He followed that coworker to a maintenance area on Wednesday and shot him in the chest before shooting four others. While Radford's motive remains unknown, details about his character and issues he faced in and out of the workplace have emerged from loved ones and former coworkers. His father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that he hadn't noticed any unusual behavior from his son recently and didn't know what might have motivated the shooting. He did, however, say his son had complained to the family about racism at Fort Stewart and had been seeking a transfer, according to the Times, which did not publish any specifics. CNN has reached out to Eddie Radford for more information. Fort Stewart declined to comment on the racism allegation and whether Radford had requested a transfer. 'The circumstances that led to the events (on Wednesday) are currently under investigation,' a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division told CNN. As Radford's military career began in 2018, so did relentless bullying over his stutter, two former coworkers told NBC. Sneh Patel, an attorney that represented Radford during his DUI case, also confirmed to CNN that 'he has a stuttering condition,' although he wouldn't disclose much more due to client-attorney privilege, he said. 'He got bullied a lot,' Sgt. Cameron Barrett, who became friends with Radford during an Army training program, told NBC. 'It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk.' People would mock Radford by also pretending to have a stutter, Barrett said, adding the apparent speech impediment was a 'trigger' for Radford, but he endured the treatment by being silent, showing no signs of anger or resentment, Barrett and other soldiers told the network. CNN has reached out to those soldiers for more information. Since the shooting, Radford has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and is now sitting in pretrial confinement as he waits for a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel, Lubas said Wednesday afternoon. As for his family, Mitchell told WTLV he's still asking himself questions, even days after the shooting. 'I was just one phone call away,' Mitchell said. 'I wish we could have talked about it, and it would have never happened. But we just leave it in God's hands.' CNN's Danya Gainor and Mark Morales contributed to this report.
CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
Minutes before gunfire erupted at Fort Stewart, the shooting suspect texted his family saying ‘I love y'all,' uncle says
'I just want y'all to know that I love y'all, and I tried my hardest to be the best I could be,' Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford texted his relatives at least 20 minutes before he began shooting at fellow soldiers earlier this week at his military base in Georgia. 'My time is slowly coming to an end. I choose my destiny and my faith. I might not be with my mama, but I'm gonna be in a better place,' the enigmatic group text message read, his uncle, Joe Mitchell, told CNN affiliate WTLV. Radford, 28, wounded five of his peers at Fort Stewart Army base with a personal handgun before he was subdued by other soldiers nearby, authorities have said. All five soldiers are in stable condition, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, said at a news conference Wednesday. 'Please don't talk like that,' one message in response to Radford said. 'Call me, don't talk like this bro,' another said. 'Don't do whatever going on, you gonna be okay,' a different family member wrote. But despite desperate pleas from family members, what unfolded after Radford's messages has left many loved ones with looming questions over what led up to the shooting, his motive, and how someone they know to be a kind and loving family guy could commit such violence. Radford joined the Army in 2018 as an automated logistical specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the US Army said. His role involved handling supplies and warehouse operations and he had not deployed to a combat zone, Lubas, the general said. The native Floridian had been arrested for driving under the influence in May – an arrest his chain of command didn't know about before the incident, Lubas said. Radford had no known behavioral incidents in his military record, according to the general. A day before the shooting, Radford had a disagreement with one of the shooting victims, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the case. It's unclear what the disagreement was about. He followed that coworker to a maintenance area on Wednesday and shot him in the chest before shooting four others. While Radford's motive remains unknown, details about his character and issues he faced in and out of the workplace have emerged from loved ones and former coworkers. His father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that he hadn't noticed any unusual behavior from his son recently and didn't know what might have motivated the shooting. He did, however, say his son had complained to the family about racism at Fort Stewart and had been seeking a transfer, according to the Times, which did not publish any specifics. CNN has reached out to Eddie Radford for more information. Fort Stewart declined to comment on the racism allegation and whether Radford had requested a transfer. 'The circumstances that led to the events (on Wednesday) are currently under investigation,' a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division told CNN. As Radford's military career began in 2018, so did relentless bullying over his stutter, two former coworkers told NBC. Sneh Patel, an attorney that represented Radford during his DUI case, also confirmed to CNN that 'he has a stuttering condition,' although he wouldn't disclose much more due to client-attorney privilege, he said. 'He got bullied a lot,' Sgt. Cameron Barrett, who became friends with Radford during an Army training program, told NBC. 'It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk.' People would mock Radford by also pretending to have a stutter, Barrett said, adding the apparent speech impediment was a 'trigger' for Radford, but he endured the treatment by being silent, showing no signs of anger or resentment, Barrett and other soldiers told the network. CNN has reached out to those soldiers for more information. Since the shooting, Radford has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and is now sitting in pretrial confinement as he waits for a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel, Lubas said Wednesday afternoon. As for his family, Mitchell told WTLV he's still asking himself questions, even days after the shooting. 'I was just one phone call away,' Mitchell said. 'I wish we could have talked about it, and it would have never happened. But we just leave it in God's hands.' CNN's Danya Gainor and Mark Morales contributed to this report.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Soldier with ties to Fort Bragg receives medal for actions in Fort Stewart shooting incident
An Army first sergeant originally from Fort Bragg was among six 3rd Infantry Division soldiers honored for their 'heroic actions' Aug. 6 following a shooting on Fort Stewart, Georgia, in which five other soldiers with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team were injured. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented 1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold with a Meritorious Service Medal for providing immediate aid to the wounded soldiers, including stopping the bleeding of at least one. The other soldiers honored were: Master Sgt. Justin Thomas of Kingwood, Texas. Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor of Winterhaven, Florida. Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco of Amsterdam, New York. Sgt. Eve Rodarte of El Centro, California. Sgt. Aaron Turner of Farmington, New Mexico. Related: Who is Quornelius Radford? What we know about the Fort Stewart shooting suspect 'The fast action of these soldiers, under stress and under trauma and under fire, absolutely saved lives from being lost,' Driscoll said at a news conference that accompanied the award presentations. In an interview with MSNBC following the ceremony, Arnold said he was in a conference room at the unit when he heard a gunshot, then walked into a hallway filled with gunpowder smoke and heard someone say they'd been shot. "I immediately helped the person onto the ground, put the soldier on the ground, and one of the medics, Staff Sgt. Taylor, had came up and immediately started providing aid to that soldier, and that's when the soldier told me someone else was shot," Driscoll said. In total, he said, Driscoll rendered aid to three of the five wounded soldiers until medics could take over. When told he and the others were being hailed as heroes, the North Carolinian responded: 'I was doing my job ... As a first sergeant for these soldiers, my job is to take care of soldiers.' What happened at Fort Stewart? Officials allege that shortly before 11 a.m. on Aug. 6, Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, opened fire on his coworkers at the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion's company operations facility. Fellow soldiers who witnessed the shooting tackled the gunman and subdued him until authorities arrived, officials said. "These soldiers, without a doubt, prevented further casualties," Brig. Gen. John Lubas said. Two of the injured soldiers were transported to a trauma center, and three were treated at the Winn Army Community Hospital on the base. One underwent surgery. Lubas said a personal gun was used in the attack, not a military firearm. It wasn't clear how the gunman was able to bring the weapon through security and onto the installation, he said. Radford is in pretrial confinement awaiting charges in the Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, Georgia, jail records show. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Soldier from Fort Bragg honored for heroics in Fort Stewart shooting
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
How six Fort Stewart soldiers jumped into action when a colleague opened fire
'The fast action of these soldiers, under stress, and under trauma, and under fire, absolutely saved lives from being lost,' said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. On the morning of Aug. 6, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor was sitting at her desk in Fort Stewart, Georgia, checking emails when she heard 1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold yelling down the hallway about gunfire. More: Why did Army sergeant open fire at Fort Stewart? What we know about the motive 'I saw … smoke at the end of the hallway, and I noticed there was a soldier laying on the ground. So I immediately sprinted over to the soldier and started rendering aid,' the battalion career counselor and former combat medic told reporters a day later, on Aug 7. An Army sergeant was shooting his fellow servicemembers in the building. Five soldiers were shot. Taylor, of Winterhaven, Florida, and five other soldiers jumped into action. Sgt. Aaron Turner, of Farmington, New Mexico, who was unarmed, tackled the assailant. Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Kingswood, Texas, also jumped on the shooter, whom officials identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford. Others rushed to staunch their coworkers' bleeding. Arnold, the soldier shouting through the hallway, who is from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, recalled the next day, 'It's our training that kicked in. Mine kicked in.' The suspect, who was swiftly apprehended, had targeted his colleagues at his workplace, the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion's company operations facility, Army officials said. He remains in custody. The five victims, all soldiers, survived and are expected to recover. Two, both women, remain hospitalized – one at the base's Winn Army Community Hospital and the other at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, according to 3rd Infantry Division commander Brig. Gen. John Lubas. The Army's top official, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, traveled to the south Georgia post to present medals to Taylor, Arnold and four other soldiers who responded to the shooting. "The fast action of these soldiers, under stress and under trauma and under fire, absolutely saved lives from being lost," Driscoll said during a press conference on Aug. 7. He said that doctors credited the soldiers' medical aid with saving some of the victims' lives. The six soldiers received the Meritorious Service Medal, a prestigious decoration rarely presented to lower-ranking troops. Their battalion is part of the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, a tank unit that returned from a European deployment in summer 2024. Brigade support battalions such as the 703rd provide resupply, maintenance and other logistical support to larger combat units. Thomas and Turner were honored for their work detaining the suspect. Arnold, Taylor, and two others – Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco of Amsterdam, New York, and Sgt. Eve Rodarte of El Centro, California – were recognized for their work treating the shooting victims at the scene. The award citation for Arnold, one of several read aloud at the ceremony, revealed that a fellow first sergeant was one of the victims. A first sergeant is the top enlisted soldier in a company-sized unit, ranging from 50 to 250 soldiers. The role carries a heightened responsibility for the troops in their charge. As the victims recuperate, other survivors of the shooting have started to process the event. 'It will be a little bit before this moment hits you, and that's ok,' said Driscoll while addressing the unit's soldiers. He committed to providing counseling and other support services for as long as needed. Taylor, who'd started the morning reading emails, told reporters she went home after the chaos on Aug. 6 and doted on her children. 'I made my kids' favorite dinner,' she said.
