Army sergeant wants to plead guilty in Georgia base shootings that injured 5

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — An Army sergeant accused of shooting and wounding five co-workers at a southeast Georgia base last summer is seeking to plead guilty to attempted murder and other charges in a military court, Army prosecutors said Thursday.

Authorities say Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, used a personal handgun to open fire on members of his supply unit at Fort Stewart in August. Gunfire injured four soldiers and a civilian worker, who was Radford’s romantic partner, before bystanders disarmed and restrained the sergeant, according to prosecutors.

A military judge scheduled Radford to stand trial by court-martial in June after Radford pleaded not guilty last fall to 13 criminal counts: six counts of attempted murder, six counts of aggravated assault and a count of domestic violence. Prosecutors say there were six total victims, including a person Radford shot at and missed.

Now Radford is seeking to plead guilty to a reduced set of charges, according to the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel, which is prosecuting Radford.

It said in a news release Thursday that Radford’s attorneys told a military judge last week that Radford wants to plead guilty to two counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of domestic violence.

Radford’s lead defense attorney, Lt. Col. Dylan Mack, did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

The Army’s online court docket shows Radford’s plea status was changed from “not guilty” to “guilty plea” ahead of his next scheduled court hearing March 31. That’s when the judge plans to consider Radford’s plea change, prosecutors said.

Army prosecutors said they haven’t negotiated a plea deal with Radford, meaning he would still face a possible life prison sentence if a military judge accepts his guilty plea.

Authorities haven’t offered a suspected motive for the shootings. Radford has been held in pretrial confinement since his arrest.

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.

On Aug. 6, soldiers in Radford’s unit followed the sound of gunfire into the hallways of an office building where they found hazy gun smoke in the air and wounded victims on the floor and in nearby offices.

Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry’s commander, credited soldiers with saving lives by immediately rendering first aid, in some cases using their bare hands to stanch bleeding from gunshot wounds.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll visited Fort Stewart the day after the shootings to award Meritorious Service Medals to six soldiers who helped restrain the gunman and treat the victims.