Police say a man handling a revolver fatally shot his girlfriend before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
FAIRBANKS, AK — A 21-year-old woman and her 22-year-old boyfriend are dead after police say he shot her while playing with a revolver at a Fairbanks home Wednesday night, then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Fairbanks police identified the woman as Cloerae McBrayer and the man as Landon Lowrance. According to police, a 911 caller reported at about 9:12 p.m. Sept. 16 that Lowrance had accidentally shot McBrayer at a home on Bentley Drive. Investigators said the caller was a friend of Lowrance and is not believed to have been involved in either shooting.
Police said their investigation indicates Lowrance had been playing around with a revolver before pointing it toward McBrayer and firing. Authorities have not released additional information about why the firearm discharged or whether investigators determined if Lowrance believed the revolver was unloaded.
After the first shooting, investigators said, the person who called 911 tried to physically stop Lowrance from getting another firearm and shooting himself. The caller was unable to stop him, police said. Authorities have not publicly identified that person.
Officers who arrived at the Bentley Drive home found McBrayer dead. Lowrance was still alive but critically injured, according to police. Fairbanks fire department medics took him to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Police said they interviewed the 911 caller as part of the investigation and do not believe the person participated in the shootings. No other injuries were reported in the information released by authorities.
The circumstances described by police are based on the department’s early investigation and the account provided by the person who called 911. Police have not released a more detailed chronology, additional witness statements or forensic findings explaining how the first shooting occurred.
Authorities also have not publicly announced criminal charges in connection with the case. Because both McBrayer and Lowrance died, investigators’ remaining work is expected to focus on establishing the circumstances surrounding the deaths rather than a prosecution based on the information released so far.
The Fairbanks Police Department’s publicly available September activity bulletin, which was printed during the afternoon of Sept. 16, predates the reported 9:12 p.m. shooting and does not contain an entry for the incident. Police have said the case remains a developing investigation, and additional details had not been released as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 18, 2026.