Sacto 9-1-1

The gun that fired accidentally, killing a 10-year-old Keegan Swinney Tuesday, was a Remington Airmaster .177, El Dorado County Sheriff's officials reported Thursday.

Swinney and some friends were shooting the gun in a backyard before he was accidentally shot by one of the boys who was cradling the weapon in a non-shooting position.

The Remington Airmaster is shown as available for $79.96 on Walmart.com to buyers over 18 years old.

It fires BBs or non-spherical metallic pellets at more than 700 feet per second using a pneumatic pump.

Customer reviews were enthusiastic about its power and usefulness for killing squirrels.

The pellets used in this type of gun are not the plastic ones used in airsoft guns, which are intended for game play.

Those are said typically to produce welts on exposed skin, but do not break the skin.

The Remington company's website identifies the Airmaster as a licensed product made by another manufacturer.

Walmart.com's website includes a warning to California purchasers that the gun "may be mistaken for a firearm by law enforcement officers."

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About Sacto 9-1-1

Sacto 9-1-1 is a blog on crime and emergency services news in the Sacramento region.

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Sacto 9-1-1 Q&A

Q: What happened with the case regarding Marc McCormick? He was accused of videotaping a woman in her home and was arrested. He lives in my neighborhood and I see him all the time. Were charges dropped?


A: According to Sacramento Superior Court online records, misdemeanor charges have been filed against Mark William McCormick, alleging that he used a camcorder or other instrument to view an individual in a place where there was an expectation of privacy, trespassing and peeping.

His next court date is June 4.

According to Sacramento police logs, McCormick, 40, was arrested March 8 after the victim reported that a friend had entered her home without her knowledge to secretly videotape her.


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