In a tragic turn of events on the evening of September 16, 2026, 21-year-old CloeRae Jean McBrayer lost her life in a shooting incident inside a Fairbanks, Alaska, residence. The young woman, originally from Piedmont, Alabama, was fatally wounded when her 22-year-old boyfriend, Landon Lowrance, discharged a revolver he had been handling. According to police reports, the incident was reported in a 911 call at approximately 9:12 p.m. by a friend who was present at the scene and stated that a man had accidentally shot his girlfriend. When Fairbanks Police Department officers arrived at the Bentley Drive home, they found McBrayer deceased and Lowrance critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Emergency medical personnel transported Lowrance to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The investigation revealed that Lowrance had been "playing" with the revolver and pointed it at McBrayer before pulling the trigger. It is believed the revolver contained a single round, though it remains undetermined if Lowrance was aware the weapon was loaded. After shooting McBrayer, who was reportedly on the phone at the time, Lowrance obtained a second firearm. The friend who had called 911 attempted to intervene and physically restrain Lowrance but was unsuccessful in preventing him from shooting himself.
The life of CloeRae Jean McBrayer, described by her mother as the "sunshine of the family" and an "All-American Girl," was cut short just as she was embarking on a new chapter. She had recently been accepted to the University of Alaska Fairbanks with aspirations of becoming a teacher and also had interests in cosmetology and design. Family and friends remembered her as a joyful, outgoing, and determined individual who had participated in pageants, volleyball, softball, and cheerleading during her youth. Her mother expressed that the circumstances were especially difficult to comprehend as her daughter had a fear of firearms. The couple had reportedly been discussing the possibility of getting engaged. Due to the nature of the incident as a murder-suicide, there were no arrests or trials. The Fairbanks Police Department has described the event as a preventable tragedy, emphasizing the importance of responsible firearm handling.
