Xbox-iPod fight may be behind shooting

Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett identified the dead man as Paul M. Raney, 22, of Chelan. Burnett said Raney was shot multiple times in the chest with a handgun. He said he does not know who owned the gun.

Arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder is Steven M. Swinford, 20, of Chelan. On Friday, Superior Court Judge Lesley Allan set his bail at $1 million during a preliminary appearance. Swinford was in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center as of Saturday morning.

According to a deputy’s report, a witness to the shooting told Lt. Jerry Moore that “Mr. Swinford was playing Xbox and Mr. Raney wanted to listen to his iPod. Mr. Raney went outside and got his iPod, came back in and plugged it in. Mr. Swinford unplugged the iPod and Mr. Raney plugged it back in. Then Mr. Swinford shot Mr. Raney.”

Swinford called the RiverCom dispatch center at 12:54 a.m. Friday and told a dispatcher there was an altercation and he had shot his friend, according to the report by Deputy Dominic Mutch.

When Swinford called RiverCom, he said that “he had been drinking and his friend was more sober and could help more,” the report states. Swinford then passed the phone to that friend, who told the dispatcher Raney was dead. The friend told Moore about the iPod argument.

When a deputy arrived, he found Swinford, the man who talked to the dispatcher and a fourth man in the house in the 800 block of Wapato Way, the report states. The deputy said he saw a black shotgun leaning against a wall just inside the door to the residence. He also saw a handgun sitting on a table.

Burnett said the handgun was used in the shooting. There was no indication that the shotgun had been fired, he said. Medics determined that Raney, who was on his back inside the house, was dead.

Swinford and Raney have apparently known each other since at least 2005. Both were listed as Chelan High School football players that year in a Wenatchee World story about a game between Chelan and Manson. Paul Raney is also listed as Swinford’s friend on Facebook.