Malmstrom AFB Shooting: 25-Year-Old Charged in Dormitory Killing
Airman Aldo Ortiz Perez was killed Nov. 1 by Giovanni Molinaro, who called 911 claiming he was playing with an unloaded Glock 9mm.
By Olga Paredes ·
Seventeen active-duty military members have died of homicide in 2026, a toll that includes Airman 1st Class Aldo Ortiz Perez, who was pronounced dead at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls last weekend. Giovanni Salvatore Molinaro, 25, has been charged with negligent homicide and awaits a bail hearing.
Court documents show Molinaro placed the 911 call on Nov. 1. He told dispatchers he was playing with a Glock 9mm pistol, believed it was unloaded, and accidentally shot another enlisted service member. When Air Force Security Forces arrived at the base dormitory, they found Molinaro on his knees. The gun lay on the bed with the slide back and magazine removed, while a spent casing sat on the floor. Molinaro stated to the responding officers, “No, I’m not. I shot him.”
Ortiz Perez served in the 341st Security Forces Squadron, a unit responsible for base law enforcement and guarding missile sites. Col. David Wyrick, commander of the 341st Missile Wing, said in a press release that the loss is felt throughout the Malmstrom community. Wyrick urged Airmen to look out for one another and seek support during the difficult time.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is working the case alongside the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office. Molinaro made his initial appearance in Cascade County District Court on Nov. 2. He is currently held in the Cascade County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Base policies prohibit storing personal firearms in dormitories. Airmen must register weapons and keep them in a designated armory. Only specially credentialed personnel may carry personal firearms on base. Stars and Stripes reported that the Glock pistol involved is not the Air Force’s standard-issue Sig Sauer M18. The outlet also noted an April memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eased restrictions, allowing service members to request permission to carry firearms for personal safety. It is unclear if Molinaro made such a request or if the gun was privately owned.
Molinaro’s attorneys filed a motion for a bail hearing, arguing he cannot afford the current amount. They wrote that consideration of additional facts would justify a reduction. The Defense Casualty Analysis System recorded 183 active-duty deaths from accidents in 2026, in addition to the 17 homicide deaths.
Source: Montana Free Press
