Natravien Landry faces at least 10 years and as much as life in federal prison for the December 2024 shooting.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — A former Army National Guard soldier has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a federal firearm charge in the killing of an active-duty Army sergeant inside family housing at Fort Gordon, federal prosecutors announced.

Natravien R. Landry, 27, of Abbeville, Louisiana, admitted responsibility for the Dec. 14, 2024, shooting death of U.S. Army Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr. Landry entered the pleas June 11 in U.S. District Court. His plea agreement calls for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, along with possible financial penalties and supervised release. A sentencing date has not been set.

The guilty plea shifts the case from determining criminal responsibility to deciding Landry’s punishment. Prosecutors said U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing after the completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services. That review typically supplies the court with verified information about the offense and the defendant before a sentence is imposed. The Justice Department emphasized that federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.

Landry was serving in the Army National Guard and assigned to the 1148th Transportation Company when the shooting occurred. He was working with his unit at the installation early that morning, according to court records and testimony summarized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. During a break from duty, he went to an apartment occupied by a woman with whom he shares a child. Prosecutors said Landry saw a vehicle outside the apartment and suspected another man was inside. He entered the residence and went upstairs to a bedroom, where he found Stewart and two children. Authorities said Landry knew Stewart was unarmed before shooting him once in the chest. Stewart was later pronounced dead inside the apartment. The children were not reported physically injured.

An Army investigator’s account filed at the beginning of the case provided additional details about the confrontation. According to that account, Landry had reported for drill duty earlier in the morning and was still wearing his military uniform when he arrived at the residence. A witness said he asked about a dark-colored truck parked outside before going into the apartment. The woman told investigators that she and Stewart had been asleep before the disturbance began.

The initial affidavit alleged that Landry struck Stewart with the handgun during the confrontation and then fired the fatal shot. Stewart moved from the bedroom and fell on the stairs after he was wounded, according to the affidavit. Emergency personnel responded, but he could not be saved. Those details were allegations when Landry was charged; his later guilty plea established his criminal responsibility for the killing and firearm offense.

Landry left the residence and drove away from the installation after the shooting, prosecutors said. The incident prompted commanders to place the base under a lockdown that lasted about two hours. Officials described the shooting at the time as an isolated event, but the restrictions remained in effect as authorities searched for Landry and worked to determine whether any continuing danger existed on the post.

About three hours after the shooting, deputies with the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office stopped Landry on Interstate 85 south of Atlanta, roughly 180 miles from the installation. Investigators said Landry threw a handgun from the vehicle during the stop. Deputies recovered a 9 mm Glock pistol, and later testing showed that it was the weapon used to shoot Stewart. Landry’s military uniform was also found in the vehicle, according to the investigative account.

Landry admitted shooting Stewart during an interview conducted after officers advised him of his constitutional rights, the Army investigator said. He was transferred into federal custody and taken to the Lincoln County Jail. Two days after the shooting, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps on a criminal complaint charging him with murder. He was ordered detained after a hearing on Dec. 18, 2024, and later waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

The federal government had jurisdiction because the shooting occurred in housing on a U.S. military installation. The post, located next to Augusta, was known as Fort Eisenhower at the time of the killing and has since returned to the name Fort Gordon. It is home to major Army operations, including the service’s Cyber Center of Excellence and units connected to communications, intelligence and technology missions.

Early public information about the case was limited. Installation officials initially announced that one person had died and that a suspect was in custody. Stewart’s name was released after notification procedures were completed. The Justice Department later identified him as an Army sergeant and described Landry’s assignment, the location of the shooting and the circumstances of the arrest. Landry was initially charged through a criminal complaint, which contained accusations rather than proven findings. At that stage, he was legally presumed innocent. His guilty pleas to second-degree murder and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence removed the need for prosecutors to prove the case at trial. The pleas also acknowledged responsibility for both the fatal act and the use of the handgun.

Second-degree murder under federal law generally covers an unlawful killing committed with malice but without the additional elements required for first-degree murder. Landry’s exact sentence will be determined by the judge after reviewing the plea agreement, the presentence report, applicable federal sentencing rules and statements presented by the prosecution, defense and people affected by the crime.

U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap called the plea a step toward justice and credited Army criminal investigators and federal prosecutors with bringing the case to a conviction. Ryan O’Connor, special agent in charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office, said the result reflected cooperation among Army CID, the Justice Department and local law enforcement agencies.

The investigation was led by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Southern District of Georgia Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr. prosecuted the case. Meriwether County deputies handled the traffic stop that ended the search for Landry and recovered the firearm later connected to Stewart’s killing.

No sentencing date had been announced as of Monday. Landry remains subject to federal detention while the presentence investigation is completed and Judge Hall prepares to decide the prison term and other penalties.

Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.