Army reservist faces murder charge in Fort Gillem shooting

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Military officials have charged Staff Sgt. Rashad Valmont with murder in the fatal shooting of Master Sgt. Pedro Mercado at Fort Gillem, U.S. Army spokeswoman Maj. Lenora Hutchinson told the AJC on Tuesday.

Records obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution show that the 29-year-old Valmont was a direct report of the man he is accused of shooting to death.

The charge of premeditated murder was recommended Tuesday by the U.S. Army's criminal investigations command under Article 118 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice.

Valmont, a native of the Virgin Islands, is being held in pretrial detention at an undisclosed military institution.

Mercado, 47, died from multiple gunshot wounds Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Forest Park. The married father of three lived in Stockbridge.

Valmont was Mercado's direct report at the personnel management branch of the U.S. Army Medical Professional Management Command.

Mercado was second in command of the group of soldiers and civilians who helped to manage the careers of all Army medical professionals nationwide.

Mercado is survived by a wife -- also a soldier -- and three children.

He had been in the Army for 29 years, serving with the 82nd Airborne in Kuwait, Germany and Kosovo, earning three Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Commendation Medals and seven Army Parachutist badges.

"The U.S. Army extends it's deepest condolences to Master Sgt. Mercado's family," Hutchinson said Tuesday.

Valmont faces the death sentence or life in prison if found guilty, according to article 118 of the UCMJ:

“Any person subject to this chapter who, without justification or excuse, unlawfully kills a human being, when he— (1) has a premeditated design to kill; (2) intends to kill or inflict great bodily harm; (3) is engaged in an act that is inherently dangerous to another and evinces a wanton disregard of human life; or (4) ... is guilty of murder, and shall suffer such punishment as a court-martial may direct, except that if found guilty under clause (1) or (4), he shall suffer death or imprisonment for life as a court-martial may direct."

Next, Valmont's case will go through an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury, meant to asses the truth of the charges to ensure there is a basis for prosecution, prior to convening a general court martial, or military trial, Army officials said.

Return to ajc.com for updates.