U.S. Army Sergeant Andre S. Stewart Jr., a 28-year-old Black man remembered by his family as a "gentle giant with strong faith," was shot and killed on Saturday, December 14, 2024. The shooting occurred inside a residence on Fort Eisenhower in Augusta, Georgia, prompting a two-hour lockdown of the military base. Stewart, who joined the Army in 2019 and transitioned to the Army Reserve in 2023, was a human resource specialist and a member of the 400th Military Police Brigade at Fort Meade,
Maryland.
The incident began early that morning when Natravien Landry, a 25-year-old Army National Guard soldier, was on a break from drill duty. Landry went to the on-base home of a woman with whom he shared a child. After seeing Stewart's truck parked outside, Landry became suspicious and forced his way into the home. He went upstairs to a bedroom, where he found Stewart with the woman and two children, one of whom was Stewart’s five-year-old son. According to court records, a physical altercation broke out between the two men.
During the confrontation, Landry, who was aware that Stewart was unarmed, pulled out a gun and shot him once in the chest. Stewart was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries about an hour later. Landry fled the scene in a car but was apprehended about three hours later by sheriff's deputies in Meriwether County, roughly 180 miles from Fort Eisenhower, following a traffic stop. During the stop, Landry threw a 9mm handgun from the vehicle's window, which was later recovered by law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted in federal court. During questioning by an Army investigator, Landry admitted to the shooting. He was charged with murder and, in January 2025, was indicted by a federal grand jury for premeditated murder and use of a firearm in a deadly crime. He was ordered to remain in federal custody pending further court proceedings.
In June 2026, Natravien Landry pleaded guilty in federal court to second-degree murder and using a firearm during a crime of violence. In October 2026, U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall sentenced Landry to 25 years in federal prison for the murder of Andre Stewart Jr.
