Posted on 08/30/2014 8:39:47 AM PDT by Citizen Zed
The family of an Arizona shooting range instructor accidentally killed by a 9-year-old girl while he was teaching her to use an Uzi said they feel sorry for the child.
His daughter, 19-year-old Ashley, told NBC's "Today" show that the family knows it was a "tragic accident" and something she'll have to live with.
She said she planned to write a letter to the girl's family. "Our thoughts and our prayers are with them. We don't want their life to revolve around this," she said.
"My heart goes out to the little girl and I feel sorry for her and for her family," said Vacca's ex-wife, Anamarie.
Prosecutors say they will not file charges.
Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy told The Associated Press that it will take several weeks for blood-toxicology test results to be complete, and authorities were still investigating the shooting. The coroner said that an official cause of death was pending.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
“The coroner said that an official cause of death was pending.”
Seriously?
How in the world this instructor thought it was a good idea to let that little girl fire that weapon is way beyond me.
Oh my!
Let alone her parents also.
“it will take several weeks for blood-toxicology test results to be complete”
What, they can’t bump it up to the front of the line for something like this? Sounds like BS to me.
I bet there was a line of lawyers out there waiting for the victims family to appear. Especially the anti gun advocates along with the usual ambulance chaser seeking to find a flaw in the range’s policy and rules.
What are they doing a blood tox test for, and on who ?
Do they think the 9 year old girl was drunk ?
I think this most likely means determining if it was accidental, homicide, or suicide. We can rule out natural.
The Trifecta of F’ups
Instructor/Mom/Dad
I’ve fired(I’m 6’1” 300#) an Uzi and they (as all full autos do) climb.
That or Any 9 year old should have NEVER had that Firearm handed to her loaded.
Exactly! She is a small child, she could have also shot them as well? They were taping the whole event.
“Exactly! She is a small child, she could have also shot them as well? They were taping the whole event.”
Must be a helluva video.
We used to call something like this “firearm hubris” up at my gun range. We all need to nip complacency and overconfidence in the bud all the time. Especially when handling firearms. This instructor paid for his poor judgment with his life.
The instructor (God rest his soul) used improper technique. I have no problem letting a 9 y/o shoot an FA weapon......... as long as there is adult control of the gun.
That instructor definitely made a poor decision that cost him his life. I wonder what other stories we’ll hear about him in the coming days to explain his unfortunate karma.
For all I know, this guy could have been an otherwise very responsible and conscientious firearms instructor, and if that was the case, it drives home the point even more emphatically that one momentary lapse of common sense or discretion can bear tragic fruit.
Unfortunately, those of us practitioners and advocates of the 2nd Amendment have to deal with a few morons on our side who post videos of their 95 lb girlfriends shooting a Desert Eagle, or their 12 year old kid shooting a .460 Weatherby, just for chuckles. There are likewise the chest beaters who will ridicule others' choices of defensive weapon as inadequate or, "mouse guns." Some people can only handle so much weapon, and if nothing else, this story should be a lucid illustration of that point.
Imagine the liberal version of family speak after this event.
Hate
Lawsuits
Gun control
Good thing this family is not liberal.
“That or Any 9 year old should have NEVER had that Firearm handed to her loaded.”
He could have prevented this accident by not putting more than three rounds in the magazine, and keeping hands-on control of the weapon when she fired. The Instructor had a lapse in judgment with disastrous results.
Rick Ector says he only loads one round at a time when teaching a beginner and stands behind the shooter where he can take immediate control.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.