Air Force arrest follows investigation into the July 20 firearm death of a security forces airman, prompting a service-wide safety review of the M18 pistol and its operational protocols.
At a Glance
- An airman was arrested on August 8 2025 in connection with the fatal shooting of Airman Brayden Lovan on July 20 at F.E. Warren AFB.
- Charges include involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and making a false official statement.
- The incident led the Air Force Global Strike Command to pause use of the Sig Sauer M18 pistol for safety evaluation.
- Service-wide inspections have been ordered for approximately 125,000 M18 pistols.
- The M18 pistol, derived from the SIG Sauer P320, has faced ongoing scrutiny amid broader allegations of uncommanded discharges.
Incident Details
On July 20, 2025, Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, was fatally shot by a Sig Sauer M18 handgun while on duty at F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming. Initial accounts suggested the weapon might have fired without the trigger being pulled, prompting the Air Force’s Global Strike Command to immediately pause the use of the M18 and order full inspections across its inventory. The Office of Special Investigations took the lead in determining whether a mechanical malfunction or human factors were involved.
Watch now: Arrest Made in Fatal Air Force Sig Sauer M18 Discharge · YouTube
Emergence of Legal Action
On August 8, 2025, the Air Force announced that an unidentified airman had been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and making a false official statement in connection with the shooting. The charges indicate investigators now believe the circumstances point to negligence or misconduct rather than a purely mechanical fault. The Air Force has not released further identifying details while legal proceedings are pending.
Safety and Broader Implications
The Sig Sauer M18 is one of two military variants of the civilian P320 pistol, a design that has faced multiple lawsuits and reports of unintended discharges. The Lovan case has intensified calls for re-examining the pistol’s safety profile within the armed forces. While Sig Sauer maintains that the M18 meets all military safety requirements, the temporary pause and inspection order by Global Strike Command underscore the seriousness with which the Air Force is treating the matter. Other commands have taken the opportunity to reinforce firearms handling training and review weapons safety protocols.
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