Sad story - 12 year old boy killed by revolver recoil
Neil Maxwell
A 12-year-old San Antonio boy died Saturday afternoon south of
Giddings when he was struck on the top of the head by the recoil of a
Ruger .454 gun he was firing. The boy, identified by the Lee County
Sheriff’s Office as Marcus Wall, was pronounced dead at the scene by
Justice of the Peace Paul Fischer.
Sheriff’s Deputy Rodney Meyer stated that the victim and his father,
Marc Wall, were with friends dove hunting on the Zoch place off County
Road 233. Deputy Meyer reported that when the hunters took a break for
lunch, they began shooting a variety of guns owned within the group.
The Ruger .454 Casull was purportedly owned by Joe Ramsey of Austin.
According to the Sheriff’s report, when Marcus asked to shoot the
Ruger, Ramsey told the young boy the gun was too large for him to
shoot. However, allegedly it was later OK’ed for him [Marcus] to shoot
the gun. The report did not identify who gave permission for the child
to shoot, though Ramsey stood by the boy when he fired.
#From the Sheriff’s account of the incident, Marcus was instructed how
to hold and shoot the gun. Mr. Ramsey assisted the victim [when taking
aim] by holding his hand above the victim’s [hands] for the recoil,
explained Deputy Meyer.
When the gun was fired, the gun recoiled upward, hitting Marcus in the
head causing head trauma. The gun’s owner, Ramsey, received injury to
his fingers but was not transported for medical attention.
The Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch received two calls reporting the
incident, though only the second caller could identify their location.
Deputy Mike York advised dispatch that he was in the area and had been
flagged down and directed to the location. Upon arrival at the scene,
Deputy York radioed to dispatch to cancel the call for an ambulance
and to send out a Justice of the Peace.
The recoil velocity of the Ruger .454 has been noted for its strength
for some time. In a May 2001 article in Shooting Times, author Dick
Metcalf reported that ...when the .454 Casull version of the Super
Redhawk was introduced in 1999, Ruger spokesmen candidly acknowledged
they did not expect the new chambering to be shot a lot for casual
plinking or for steel-target competition. Its recoil was simply too
severe.
Deputy Meyer stated that the case is still under investigation.
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Neil Maxwell - I don't speak for my employer
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