Airman was killed on nuclear weapons base in Wyoming by comrade who had pointed gun at him ‘jokingly’

The Air Force on Friday released new details about a fatal shooting this summer at a Wyoming base, which prompted a month-long suspension of Sig Sauer M18 pistols at nuclear sites.

In a statement, the Air Force said that on July 20 at F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne, the alleged shooter, Marcus White‑Allen, pointed his issued M18 pistol at 21-year-old Airman Brayden Lovan’s chest in what investigators described as a “joking manner.”

After the shooting, White-Allen, who served in the same squadron’s security forces, allegedly pressured two surviving airmen, Sarbjot Badesha and Matthew Rodriguez, to lie about what happened.

Investigators say White‑Allen allegedly told Badesha, “Here’s the story: Tell them that I slammed my duty belt on the desk and it went off.”

He also allegedly told Rodriguez to tell emergency responders that White-Allen’s “holster went off,” according to the statement.

White‑Allen was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and making a false statement. He was found dead on base on the morning of October 8, although the Air Force has not yet released details about how he died.

Badesha and Rodriguez initially reported that they heard White-Allen’s gun discharge and then saw Lovan on the ground. Neither airman initially revealed critical details, leading investigators to initially believe White-Allen’s M18 had discharged accidentally.

As a result, the Air Force Global Strike Command temporarily suspended the M18 pistol at nuclear‑weapons sites, though other U.S. service branches continued using it.

The ban was lifted in late August after officials confirmed the M18 was safe to carry.

The suspension occurred amid lawsuits against Sig Sauer alleging that its P320 pistol can fire without the trigger being pulled. Sig Sauer, based in New Hampshire, denies the claims, attributing any incidents to user error, and has prevailed in some cases.

Badesha and Rodriguez have since pleaded guilty to making false statements about Lovan’s death.

Badesha received 30 days in confinement and forfeited $1,545, while Rodriguez was sentenced to 10 days in confinement, 15 days of base restriction, and forfeited $500. Both also faced administrative demotions.

In a separate incident just weeks after Lovan’s death, Airman Jadan Orr, 20, allegedly shot and killed a 23-year-old man in a Cheyenne apartment near the base after firing an AK-47 through a wall while drinking with friends.

Orr, of the 90th Missile Wing, was arrested for involuntary manslaughter as his alleged victim died on the scene.