CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — An airman has been arrested in connection with a shooting death that led the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command to suspend use of Sig Sauer’s M18 handgun.
The weapon has been the subject of lawsuits in which plaintiffs allege the gun is susceptible to firing without the trigger being pulled.
The unidentified airman was arrested on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice and involuntary manslaughter, the Air Force said in a statement Tuesday.
The statement did not say when the airman was arrested or detail his or her suspected role in the death of Brayden Lovan, 21, of the 90th Security Forces Squadron, 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base outside Cheyenne on July 20.
As of Tuesday, the Air Force had not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the shooting, saying it remained under investigation. Military law does not allow a suspect to be publicly identified before charges are referred for court martial.
Lovan died less than two years into his Air Force career. He began his first active-duty assignment at F.E. Warren in November 2023.
The base oversees 150 Minuteman III ICBMs in silos scattered across southeastern Wyoming, northeastern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska.
While the involuntary manslaughter charge hinted at human culpability, the M18 suspension by Global Strike Command remained in effect Tuesday. Security Forces airmen have been ordered to inspect the guns to “identify any immediate safety concerns.”
Security Forces airmen have been armed with M4 rifles during the M18 pause to ensure no lapse in security, according to the Air Force.
The M18 is made by New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer, which is defending itself against multiple lawsuits alleging that its popular related gun, the P320 pistol, can go off without the trigger being pulled.
Sig Sauer denies the claims, saying the P320 is safe and the problem is user error. It has prevailed in some cases. An email message seeking comment from Sig Sauer on the Air Force arrest was sent Tuesday.
The M18 is the official sidearm of all branches of the U.S. military, according to Sig Sauer. So far, only Global Strike Command — which oversees the Air Force’s bombers and ICBMs — has paused its use.
