A Buckley Air Force Base airman first class, a member of the base’s security force, is charged with fatally shooting his wife in their Aurora apartment.

Brian Lebron-Rivera, 21, was arrested Thursday by Aurora police on suspicion of reckless manslaughter.

Lebron-Rivera is assigned to the 460th Security Forces Squadron at Buckley, according to a base media release.

“Any loss of human life is tragic; right now we are focusing on making sure family and Team Buckley members have the resources they need to cope with this loss,” said Col. David Miller, 460th Space Wing commander, in the release.

At about 6:05 p.m. Thursday Aurora police were called to the Bristol Village Apartments, 17103 E. Ohio Place, on a report of a shooting, said Sgt. Chris Amsler, a police spokesman.

Arriving officers found a woman inside an apartment suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.

Lebron-Rivera, 21, was taken into custody, police said.

According to an arrest affidavit in the case, Lebron-Rivera called 911 and told the dispatcher that he had shot his wife while “they were playing with a gun.”

Lebron-Rivera, according to the affidavit, said they “were trying to take the gun from each other’s hand when the gun went off.”

“She is dead,” he told the dispatcher.

His wife, Genesis Rodriguez, 21, was shot in the head.

When officers arrived, Lebron-Rivera was sitting outside the apartment. Police found the victim lying under a kitchen island, one spent casing lying on the carpet near her legs. The gun, ammo and a magazine were on the island countertop.

“Sir, I killed my wife, it was my fault,” Lebron-Rivera told the officers, according to the affidavit.

Rodriguez was shot once, near her eye.

The couple, married in October, had “been together” for three years.

Lebron-Rivera told investigators they were “training” with the handgun. He said he was trying to teach her “how to react if someone else had a weapon.”

The airman said he was getting ready to go to work and had taken a shower and the couple were relaxing, watching TV and cuddling.

Lebron-Rivera challenged her: “Whoever gets the gun first, the other has to take it away.”

He got to the gun first, picked it up, “chambered a round, pointed the weapon at Rodriguez and fired one shot striking Rodriguez in the head,” the affidavit said.

Lebron-Rivera was advised of the charge against him Friday in an Arapahoe County court. His bond was set at $50,000.

His next court appearance is Wednesday.