CHEYENNE, Wyo. — F.E. Warren Air Force Base is facing another tragedy, as a second airman has been killed in less than a month. Both deaths involved security forces defenders, and in both cases, a fellow airman pulled the trigger.
The most recent victim, Senior Airman Joshua Aragon, 23, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of August 16 at the Sundance Apartments in Cheyenne. Airman 1st Class Jadan Orr, 20, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and is being held on a $500,000 bond.
What happened
According to Cheyenne Police, Orr and several friends had been drinking through the night. Around 3:30 a.m., Orr picked up an AK-47 rifle in a bedroom, chambered a round, and fired through the wall. The bullet struck Aragon in the torso as he sat in the living room.
Friends and first responders tried to save him, but Aragon died at the scene. Orr was arrested and initially charged with voluntary manslaughter before prosecutors reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter. Police confirmed that all individuals and weapons involved are accounted for.
“A valued member of our defender team”
Aragon joined the Air Force in 2022 and served with the 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron.
Col. Terry Holmes, commander of the 90th Missile Wing, said:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Senior Airman Aragon. He was a valued member of our defender team, and his passing leaves a tremendous void. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fellow airmen as we grieve this heartbreaking loss.”
Déjà vu for Warren’s defenders
This marks the second fatal shooting tied to F.E. Warren security forces in just over three weeks.
- On July 20, Senior Airman Brayden Tyriq Lovan, 21, was fatally shot while on duty during the early morning hours. That case is still under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, but another airman was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and making a false official statement.
- Lovan’s case also forced the Air Force to suspend use of the Sig Sauer M18 pistol, after concerns surfaced that the weapon may fire without the trigger being pulled.
- Now, with Orr’s arrest, the base is facing yet another defender accused of killing a fellow airman—this time in civilian court.
A wider pattern
This isn’t the first troubling case for Air Force security forces in 2025. Earlier this year, Airman Basic Brion Teel-Scott was shot and killed by fellow defenders near Kirtland AFB’s Truman Gate after fleeing from an attempted detention. As The Salty Soldier previously reported, investigators later recovered a bag, gun, and knife at the scene. That incident remains under investigation by OSI, the FBI, and local authorities.
A disturbing trend
- Two Warren defenders dead in three weeks — one on duty (Lovan), one off duty (Aragon).
- Fellow defenders were the shooters in both cases.
- Weapons at play: the issued Sig Sauer M18 in one incident, a personal AK-47 in the other.
- Alcohol a factor in at least one case.
- Leadership and culture questions now hanging over a career field tasked with guarding America’s nuclear arsenal.
Bottom line
Security forces are supposed to be the Air Force’s professional gunfighters—the ones you trust with your life and with the nation’s nukes. But within weeks, two defenders from the same base are dead, both shot by their own.
The 90th Missile Wing says it’s “committed to taking care of airmen and families,” but words aren’t enough. Something is breaking down inside the ranks of security forces, and it’s costing young airmen their lives.
© 2025 The Salty Soldier. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction of this content without permission is prohibited.
