The tragic shooting at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in July that left Airman Brayden Lovan dead has finally begun to unravel in full detail, thanks to court-martial testimony from two of the airmen who witnessed it—and initially helped cover it up.
The testimony reveals a story not just of a fatal mistake, but of a devastating breakdown in integrity, accountability, and professionalism inside a unit charged with guarding one of the most sensitive military installations in the country: a nuclear missile base.
At the center of it all is Airman 1st Class Marcus White-Allen, who, according to sworn statements by Airman 1st Class Sarbjot Badesha and Airman 1st Class Matthew Rodriguez, pointed his M18 service pistol at Lovan in a “joking manner” and fired a round that struck and killed him. Lovan collapsed to the floor as his colleagues watched in disbelief—only to be told to lie about what had just happened.
White-Allen’s proposed cover story? That his weapon had discharged when he slammed his duty belt on a desk. To Rodriguez, he offered a different version: that his holster somehow misfired. It was a last-minute effort to dodge accountability, delivered while Lovan lay dying on the floor and emergency personnel were en route. And for a time, it worked.
The Air Force initially reported the shooting as a misfire, prompting top-level concern throughout the military. Entire commands paused use of the M18 pistol. Sig Sauer, the weapon’s manufacturer, was forced to issue a rare public defense of its design. All because the truth had been deliberately buried by men sworn to uphold discipline and honor.
But the story didn’t stay buried.
White-Allen was arrested in August, though not publicly named at the time. Then, in a stunning turn, he was found dead in his dorm room on October 8 — the fourth death connected to F.E. Warren in as many months. With his death, the Air Force confirmed for the first time that White-Allen’s sidearm had, in fact, killed Lovan.
The court-martials of Badesha and Rodriguez have now brought the truth into daylight. Both airmen pleaded guilty to making false official statements. Their sentences were appropriately harsh: Badesha was demoted to E-1, confined for 30 days, and docked over $1,500 in pay. Rodriguez received 10 days of confinement, 15 days of base restriction, and a demotion to E-2.
But the punishment isn’t the story. The culture is.
This incident occurred within the 90th Security Forces Group, the elite unit tasked with safeguarding America’s nuclear arsenal. That the events leading to Lovan’s death included reckless horseplay with a loaded weapon is troubling enough. But that it was followed immediately by a coordinated effort to lie—while a colleague bled out—is damning. These are not just lapses in judgment. They are violations of the deepest military norms.
And it wasn’t an isolated incident. Lovan’s death was the first in a string of four fatalities tied to F.E. Warren in just four months. The final death was White-Allen’s. Whether it was suicide, stress, or some other cause remains under investigation.
In the aftermath, the base’s leadership scrambled to hold a series of “all-call” meetings, trying to restore morale, review standards, and—perhaps—repair a broken culture. According to base commander Col. Terry Holmes, the Air Force is “fully dedicated” to delivering justice and examining every aspect of what happened.
But that promise comes after the fact.
