Air Force details cover-up in shooting that spurred Sig Sauer investigation

Two Airmen who initially lied about the circumstances of a shooting that left a fellow airman dead on a military base in Wyoming have pleaded guilty in a court-martial proceeding to making false statements.

Brayden Lovan was shot and killed on F.E. Warren Air Force Base in July. Lovan’s death was initially alleged to have been the result of a Sig Sauer pistol firing unintentionally, a claim that spurred a review of the weapon’s safety.

But according to new information released by the Air Force, authorities now believe Lovan was killed when fellow Airman Marcus White-Allen pointed his M18 handgun “at Lovan’s chest in a joking manner,” and then pulled the trigger. Laboratory tests found no defects with the gun, according to an Air Force statement.

In August, the Air Force announced an arrest had been made in connection with Lovan’s death, but declined to release White-Allen’s identity. White-Allen was found dead inside his dorm room on Oct. 8. The Air Force continues to investigate his death.

Last week, Airmen Sarbjot Badesha and Matthew Rodriguez pleaded guilty in separate court-martial proceedings to making false statements. They initially told investigators that Lovan was killed when White-Allen slammed his duty belt down, causing the weapon to fire. Both Airmen now say they were asked by White-Allen to lie about the incident.

Badesha was sentenced to 30 days in military confinement, while Rodriguez will serve 10 days. Both Airmen will see a reduction in rank, and pay fines.

“We are fully dedicated to supporting the families and individuals affected by these tragic events,” said Col. Terry Holmes, an Air Force commander, in a statement announcing the guilty pleas. “Our focus is on ensuring that justice is served and that every aspect of this case is thoroughly examined.”

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Lovan’s death prompted the Global Strike Command unit of the Air Force, which consists of more than 33,000 military personnel, to suspend use of the M18 pistol. The M18, as well as the M17, are widely used by all branches of the military. The guns share a similar design to Sig Sauer’s P320, a popular gun on the civilian market that has been at the center of more than 100 lawsuits alleging it has a flaw that can lead it to fire unexpectedly.

Sig Sauer, which is based in Newington, has defended the safety of the gun, saying that it cannot fire without its trigger being pulled.

In late August, the Air Force resumed use of the weapon for all personnel, following inspections on nearly 8,000 individual weapons. That review found that 191 of the Sig-Sauer made guns were found to have unexpected wear marks on internal components including the safety lever, striker assembly and sear. The Air Force said in the wake of the review, it would now inspect the weapon on a semi-annual basis, with a focus on its internal safety mechanisms.

The gun White-Allen used to shoot Lovan was inspected separately, and found to have no defects, according to the Air Force.

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