Couple Dead After Alleged Accidental Shooting, Suicide

A gun that investigators say was being treated like a toy left two young people dead in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Wednesday night. Police say 22-year-old Landon Lowrance was "playing" with a revolver when he pointed it at his girlfriend, 21-year-old Cloerae McBrayer, and fired, killing her, reports Alaska's News Source. A friend in the home called 911 to report McBrayer had been "accidentally" shot, then tried to stop Lowrance from grabbing another gun and shooting himself but couldn't, authorities say.

Lowrance died at a hospital; McBrayer was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe there was a single round in the revolver. It's unclear if Lowrance knew it was loaded, Deputy Chief Richard Sweet says, per KLTV. Authorities are using the case to reiterate basic gun-safety rules: Always assume a firearm is loaded, and "never participate in games or activities involving firearms that place anyone at risk of injury or death."