An Army sergeant has been sentenced to life in a military prison with the possibility of parole for shootings that wounded five people at Fort Stewart, Georgia, last August. A military judge delivered the sentence Tuesday following a court-martial where Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 29, was convicted of attempted murder.
Army prosecutors accused Radford of targeting leaders within his supply unit when he opened fire with a personal handgun. The victims included four fellow soldiers and his then-fiance, Raekwon Smith. Smith testified that he was shot after following Radford onto the base, concerned that the sergeant might be suicidal.
Radford admitted to carrying out the shootings in March, pleading guilty to aggravated assault and domestic violence charges. However, he maintained he did not intend to kill anyone, while Army prosecutors proceeded with charges of attempted murder. Witnesses at the trial described Radford, a supply sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade, moving between two offices and a conference room as he shot his colleagues. Fellow soldiers apprehended and disarmed Radford before military police arrived.
In addition to the life sentence, Radford received a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of life without parole, while Radford's defense attorneys argued for a lesser sentence, citing a mental health crisis and his acceptance of responsibility.
During the sentencing hearing, a defense lawyer read a statement from Radford in which he apologized to the victims, expressed gratitude for their survival, and asked for forgiveness. Medical testimony indicated that one injured soldier was shot in the face, another in the chest, with bullets also striking victims in the back and abdomen. Several victims testified that they are still undergoing physical and emotional recovery, with two having since left the Army. Radford had opted for his trial to be decided by a military judge instead of a jury.