Police fatally shoot man holding an air rifle in Walmart toy aisle

[MineralMan]

60. This was NOT a toy gun, sadly.

It's a .177 air rifle that shoots either lead pellets or bbs. It's one of Crosman's multiple pump air rifles, designed to look sort of military. There's no orange tip on it, because it is not a toy. When fully pumped up, it fires a .177 caliber lead pellet at over 600 feet per second. If that pellet hits you, it will penetrate the skin, at least. It can put out an eye, and can even lead to a fatal injury in some circumstances.

There was definitely an over-reaction on the police's part here, but saying that it was a toy gun simply isn't accurate. Air rifles and pistols that fire lead pellets or BBs are considered firearms in almost all jurisdictions. They can easily kill small animals, and have the potential for being deadly against humans, too, although fatalities are quite rare from these weapons.

Walmart does sell this Crosman model, for about $85. NOT a toy at all, and you won't find it in the toy section.