An Army National Guard soldier was charged with murder following a shooting which led to the death of U.S. Army Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr. According to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service took 25-year-old Natravien Landry into custody on Saturday (Dec. 14), and now the Army National Guard soldier awaits another court hearing after a love triangle went terribly wrong.
Police say the initial conflict between the suspect and the victim, 28, occurred when Landry drove to the mother of his child’s home on Fort Eisenhower military base. According to ABC News, the soldier suspected Stewart and his child’s mother were having an intimate relationship, and he allegedly planned to confront them that Saturday morning.
According to the Daily Mail, witnesses say relatives of the woman were standing outside of the home, but Landry forced his way inside. Court records reported at least one witness saw Landry and Stewart get into a physical altercation before shots rang off. That’s when police suspect Landry pulled out a gun and shot Stewart in the chest, according to Stars and Stripes.
The victim was quickly taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries an hour later. The shooting even forced the Army post to lock down briefly, according to WJBF.
“Landry was arrested about three hours later south of Atlanta on Interstate 85 during a traffic stop,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Georgia. “Deputies recovered a 9 mm pistol during the stop.”
When he was taken into custody, “Landry admitted to, among other things, shooting Victim,” the court filing said. The suspect appeared in court on Monday (Dec. 16) for an initial hearing in Augusta, Ga., according to PEOPLE. Landry is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday (Dec. 18) for a detention hearing.
“Our Fort Eisenhower team suffered a tragedy this weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with a grieving family,” Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, commanding general of the Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Eisenhower, said in a statement obtained by Stars and Stripes. “I commend the swift action of our entire team and our community partners, who together are committed to safety, security, and care for those in pain.”