A U.S. Army sergeant who used a handgun last summer to shoot five individuals, including his then-fiancé, at Fort Stewart was convicted of attempted murder charges.
Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 29, was found guilty of his Aug. 6, 2025, actions by a military judge at the Georgia-based Fort Stewart who delivered the verdict in the court-martial, according to sources including the Associated Press and local outlets. Army prosecutors originally accused Radford of targeting leaders of his supply unit when he used a personal handgun in August 2025 to open fire, wounding four fellow soldiers and his then-fiancé, Raekwon Smith.
In March, Radford pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence but reportedly rejected claims that he intended to kill others when he used his weapon to harm others. Prosecutors forged on, painting his actions as indicative of attempted murder due to service members being trained not to shoot at others without an intention of killing them.
“Why do you shoot someone in the chest, in the face? You shoot to kill,” they said, according to WSAV-TV.
It led to a two-day trial that started Tuesday, in which numerous witnesses were called on the prosecution’s behalf to formulate a broader view of that day’s events and how they unfolded.
Testimony Described Radford as Suicidal
The trial included witnesses like Smith, other military personnel, and field experts.
Smith testified that he followed Radford onto Fort Stewart due to fears that his partner was suicidal. Smith testified that Radford shot him in the torso before entering his unit’s office building and shooting others.
Other trial witnesses testified that Radford walked to two offices and a conference room when he shot the four soldiers, according to WSAV-TV, though others he encountered were told to vacate the premises. After Radford was restrained and disarmed by fellow soldiers, military police made the apprehension.
Prosecutors argued that Radford had specific targets, skirting past certain offices and individuals to make his way towards base leadership and his first sergeant’s office. They said that Radford made an alleged confession to Sgt. Randall Brown.
“They didn’t believe me brother, I told my unit I wanted to kill myself and they didn’t believe me” Radford allegedly said to Brown on the day of the incident and after his arrest. “I decided to take matters into my own hands, to take as much life as I could away from them.”
The retelling of the supposed confession was disputed by Radford’s legal counsel as part of their opening statement.
“The only person Sgt. Radford intended to kill that day isn’t on the charge list because it was himself,” they said.
Personnel Saw, Encountered Radford Prior to Bullets Flying
A slew of others encountered Radford before, during and after the shootings, according to testimony documented by local WTOC-TV.
Sgt. Marcus Mitchell, who worked in a building near where Radford worked, testified that the assailant showed him the handgun outside of Fort Stewart, telling him to “go home.”
Sgt. Anastasia Releford testified that she worked in the same building as Radford for roughly 1.5 years, and that on the day of the shooting a text was sent in her group chat that there was a shooting at the base but that the identity of the shooter was not public.
The second message that was sent called for a lockdown, at which point Releford saw Radford attempt to get back inside the building.
Post-lockdown, she reportedly saw Radford and let him back into the building as she was unaware he was the shooter in question. She described his disposition “as like he was there, but not really there mentally.” Then, she saw his exposed handgun and then ran away as she believed he was looking for Sgt. Jones. Radford later laid eyes on her in a breezeway between two buildings on Fort Stewart.
Heroic Apprehension
Sgt. Aaron Turner’s testimony was riveting, according to those in the courtroom. He was the individual who confronted and disarmed Radford.
Turner testified that he was standing outside one of the work buildings while Radford walked directly towards him, with the two sharing some similar work experience in the past. Turner said he saw Radford’s black Glock with an extended magazine, asking what he was planning and telling him, “It’s not worth it.”
Radford responded, according to Turner’s testimony, by saying he was “not going after any soldiers” but only leaders. When Radford began to walk in another direction, Turner reportedly followed him and sneakily attempted to grab the weapon. A tussle ensued and Turner continued to try to talk Radford from the proverbial ledge by saying only bad things would result from the situation.
Radford reportedly responded that his mom died when he was young. During the tussle, the extended magazine came out; however, Radford had a regular magazine he attempted to put into the handgun. Simultaneously, he said, “Let me go, I want to kill myself. Just let me kill myself.”
Another soldier came and helped Turner, grabbing Radford from behind in a bear hug. Turner was able to gain possession of the firearm, remove the clips and keep it away until military police arrived and made the arrest.
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