An airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base has been criminally charged after allegedly firing an AK-47 assault rifle through an apartment wall and killing a man, police said, marking the second firearm death involving troops at the Wyoming installation in recent weeks.
Jadan Orr, 20, was arrested and accused of voluntary manslaughter early Saturday morning, according to the Cheyenne Police Department, but Air Force officials reached out after publication to say the police department’s online statement was incorrect and Orr was charged with involuntary manslaughter. He is an airman with the 90th Missile Wing, a base spokesperson confirmed to Military.com. Orr had allegedly been drinking at an apartment with friends and began handling a firearm in the bedroom.
“At some point, Orr picked up an AK-47 that was in the room,” the Cheyenne Police Department said in a Facebook post. “While manipulating the firearm, Orr charged it and fired it through the wall into the living room, striking the victim in the torso.”
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No additional details were publicly provided regarding the off-base incident, and an attorney for Orr could not be located online. A public information officer for the Cheyenne Police Department did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails from Military.com on Monday.
Officers “found several people in front of the apartment building attempting to render medical aid to a 23-year-old male who had been shot,” but he was ultimately declared dead at the scene, the police department’s post said. That person had not yet been identified by the Cheyenne Police Department or the Air Force as of Monday afternoon.
The weekend arrest and firearm death come just weeks after a Security Forces airman was killed by an M18 handgun on base, which resulted in the arrest of an unidentified person charged with involuntary manslaughter. That incident led to a service-wide investigation and inspection of the Sig Sauer-manufactured firearm within the Air Force.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and teammates affected by this tragic loss,” Col. Terry Holmes, the 90th Missile Wing commander, said in a Saturday news release. “We are fully supporting the investigation and remain committed to taking care of our airmen and their families during this extremely difficult time.”
Earlier this month, Military.com reported that an individual had been arrested “on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter,” according to the Air Force.
Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, was killed July 20 at the Wyoming base while on duty after a discharge of an M18 handgun. The circumstances of Lovan’s death, as well as the name of the person arrested in connection to the incident, have not yet been made public.
Lovan’s death led to immediate scrutiny of Sig Sauer’s P320 handgun, including its M17 and M18 military variants, amid ongoing allegations, reports and lawsuits that the weapons can fire without the trigger being pulled.
Sig Sauer has not yet publicly released a statement following the arrest connected to Lovan’s death, but the gun manufacturer defended the P320 handgun in a statement last month, calling it “one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world — meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards.”
Following the airman’s death, Air Force Global Strike Command issued a pause on using the M18 handgun as it conducted inspections into the weapon. That pause at the command level is still ongoing, an Air Force spokesperson told Military.com.
Additionally, a service-wide inspection of the M18s was also announced. Air Force officials did not immediately respond when asked about the status of that probe.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with information on Orr’s charges provided by the Air Force after publication.
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