[Bob]

I’ve seen multiple stories reporting that he had a pellet gun, not a toy gun. Were those stories incorrect? Most pellet guns that I’ve seen look almost exactly like the real thing.

[The Toll]

I believe it was an Airsoft with the orange end cap removed. That would be identical to an actual weapon.

[thackney]

The Airsoft replica gun, which fires the equivalent of BB pellets, was missing its orange safety cap, which is designed to indicate its status as something other than a deadly weapon.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawyer-says-rookie-cleveland-cop-shot-killed-12-year-old-tamir-rice-with-fake-gun/