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The soldier accused of opening a fire Wednesday at an army base in Georgia wounded five people and endured Statter’s unrelenting bullying as soon as he joined the army, a former colleague said.
Sergeant. 28-year-old Quornelius Radford was selected for about two months in 2018 at the Army Advanced Individual Training (AIT) School in Fortrey, Virginia.
“He was bullied a lot,” Sgt. said. Cameron Barrett, 28, became friends with Radford during that time. “It was a very bad thing about the fact that he could barely talk about.”
Barrett said people would chuckle Radford by pretending to stutter. He said the obvious speech obstacle was a “trigger” for Radford, and he endured the ock laugh by being silent.
Still, Radford showed no signs of anger, resentment, or deeper issues, Barrett and other fellow soldiers said. And they said that the modest Radford shared a goofy and playful side to those who came to know him.
So they said Wednesday morning filming at Fort Stewart came as a complete shock.
When reports of active shooters at the base first surfaced, Barrett said he sent a message to Radford on Snapchat to ask if he was okay.
Radford didn’t respond. Hours later, Army officials identified Radford as a man suspected of using a personal handgun to shoot five colleagues before 11am.
Radford worked as a logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Stewart.
The wounded soldier is in stable condition on Wednesday and is expected to recover. Three of the victims were released from hospital Wednesday, but two more women were still undergoing treatment on Thursday, officials said.
It is unclear whether the victim is Radford’s subordinate or superior. Army officials said the motives are unknown as the investigation is ongoing.
Radford tackled his fellow soldiers and was restrained, which ended his suspected gunfire ammunition.
Radford remained in custody Thursday and was interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
At least five soldiers were shot dead at Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday, officials said. The suspect was arrested after the fort was locked up.
The Jacksonville, Florida native joined the Army in January 2018 and has not been deployed in combat, records show.
Among the soldiers who met him at AIT School that year were shocked and confused. They said that Radford looked laid back despite being teased for his studs.
“It was easy for those people to tease him the way he spoke,” Sgt. Carlos Coleman was in the same formation as Radford during his training. “He really didn’t talk much after that.”
“I just saw him go quiet,” added Coleman, 27. “I’ve never seen him mad, so I’m very surprised.”
Barrett and Coleman said that since it had been years since the first military bullying, something else must have happened.
“I have a question too,” Coleman said. “I just want to know what pushed him to that point.”
Coleman, now based in Washington, said he was friends with Radford on Facebook and remembered Radford’s last post on January 28th.
According to a screenshot that Coleman shared with NBC News, he wrote, “I remember not being able to speak after hearing it.”
Sergeant. Quarnrius Radford, a suspect in the shooting of five soldiers at Fort Stewart, will be escorted by military police in the reservation room at the Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, Georgia on Wednesday. (AP photo/Lewis M. Levine)
Radford wrote that he cried and drank to “make him feel the pain.” He described his loved one as a safe haven and someone who cares deeply about his present and future.
“I know when I was wandering around the street you tried to keep me on a good path,” he wrote. “I remember the night you were scared when I was on that path. I’m really sorry for overcoming it.”
A former colleague of Radford described him as a normal, playful person and a hardworking soldier.
“He was good as a soldier and a person for me,” Coleman said. “There was never a red flag about him. He did what he told him to do.”
In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Quassondora Cobb, who once worked with Radford, shared a video of his first race to eat fruit at a foot snack last year.
“It was lunchtime and we just had stupidity,” Cobb told NBC News. “That’s always been my interactions with him.”
Cobb, who was a top Radford until about a year ago, said she was heartbroken and speechless when both moved to different units. Radford showed no stress or anger, and she said she didn’t seem to have any problems with her colleagues.
“I’ve never gotten that from him,” she said. “He was hardworking. If he had any problems, he would come to me and ask for advice. I didn’t see it coming.”
Radford’s father, Eddie Radford, was unable to reach Thursday and declined to comment Wednesday evening, saying it was a “bad time” to tell NBC News.
The suspect’s father told the New York Times that his son was about to transfer from Fort Stewart.
Eddie Radford texted his aunt Wednesday morning, saying, “He’s probably in a better place because everyone loves him and he was trying to do something.”
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