Man Arrested for Pellet-Pistol Shooting in Tuscaloosa County

A domestic disturbance drew deputies to eastern Tuscaloosa County on Thursday afternoon and sparked outrageous rumors online in what turned out to be a shooting with an air-powered pellet pistol, not a firearm.

Social media lit up on Thursday with reports ranging from an active shooter in the Lake View area to a barricaded suspect standing off against police. Those proved unfounded.

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Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said In an evening update that TCSO deputies were called to a residence on Washington Drive in the Lake View area of Tuscaloosa County to respond to a possible shooting during a domestic altercation.

Kennedy said police believe 34-year-old Bryan McGuffie shot his girlfriend with an air-powered pellet pistol during an argument they had before noon on Thursday.

The victim suffered minor injuries, and Kennedy said VCU investigators interviewed all parties involved, witnesses to the interaction, and also recovered the airgun while executing a search warrant.

Ultimately, McGuffie was charged with second-degree domestic violence and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail with no bond.

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.