An airman has been charged with the unlawful purchase and transfer of a firearm used in a fatal shooting at Grand Forks Air Force Base in June.
Airman 1st Class Julian Carlos Torres sH๏τ and killed Airman 1st Class Natasha Aposhian after a verbal altercation in a dormitory on base on June 1, investigators say, adding that Torres then took his own life. Both airmen were members of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing.
Airman 1st Class Daesha Renae Heard has been accused of illegally purchasing the Glock model 22C used in the shooting.
Court documents allege that Torres had repeatedly asked Heard to ᴀssist him in purchasing a handgun because he was under the legal age of 21. Torres told Heard that if she “gifted” him the weapon, it would be a legal transfer.
Investigators reported that on May 5, 2020, Heard and Torres went to B&B Guns in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to purchase the weapon.
After viewing multiple firearms, Torres chose the Glock 22C because “he liked the way it looked and liked the fact that it had extended magazine options,” the complaint stated.
Heard told investigators she attempted to buy the firearm after Torres showed it to her but did not have her military orders with her — necessary documentation for non-residents to buy firearms from a federal firearms licensee.
The two returned to the base to retrieve her orders. Heard then entered the gun store alone to purchase the weapon, 30 to 50 rounds of ammunition, and spare magazines including an extended magazine that Torres had requested.
According to the complaint, Torres, who was waiting in the parking lot, paid Heard $500 in cash for the purchase, which the store invoiced at a value of $474.