Posted on 10/28/2008 11:08:51 AM PDT by raybbr
WESTFIELD, Mass. -- With an instructor watching, an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair aimed an Uzi at a pumpkin and pulled the trigger as his dad reached for a camera. Advertisement Quantcast
It was his first time shooting a fully automatic machine gun, and the recoil of the weapon was too much for him. He lost control and fatally shot himself in the head.
Now gun safety experts — and some gun enthusiasts at the club where the shooting happened — are wondering why such a young child was allowed to fire a weapon used in war. Local, state and federal authorities are also investigating whether everyone involved had proper licenses or if anyone committed a criminal act.
"It's easy to lose control of a weapon like that ... they are used on a battleground for a very good reason," said Jerry Belair, a spokesman for Stop Handgun Violence, based in Newton, Mass. "It's to shoot as many times as you possibly can without having to reload at an enemy that's approaching. It's not a toy. It's not something to play with."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Prayers for the family.
OOOPS! Wrong headline. Should be: “Boy, 8, fatally shoots self with Uzi at gun show”.
Sorry.
This was incredibly stupid. That being said, if a drunk driver caused the only fatality in history at a four way stop, would it be reason to put in a light?
Nothing should be done here beyond the parties actually involved in the specific misshap. If this were happening on a more regular basis I would feel differently. It isn’t.
How Horrible!!! May Our Lord give this father peace.
I would have to say that the Dad is not military. I think my hubby would know how much of a kick this weapon had.
I hope.
What the HELL were they thinking???
It was a micro uzi... even grown ups have a hard time with them...
Seems to me the dad did commit a criminal act... In Massachusetts, isn’t it a crime to give a firearm to a minor? If not, he is at least guilty of voluntary manslaughter. It is like putting a grenade in the lap of a blind parapalegic. The father killed the son, not the son killing himself. I hope they convict the bastard father.
That said, in most cases, guns save lives, not take them. It is losers like this father who give the second amendment a bad name.
Well, I did a search with the above title and nothing came up.
I've never shot an Uzi, but I've fired a CAR-15 and an MP-5 (both in 9mm). The recoil of any single shot is small, but when combined in quick succession, it's really easy for it to get out of control.
Unfortunately, this will be chalked up as another reason for gun control, or at least further restrictions on full-auto weapons. But, if an 8-year-old had died while driving an automobile, motorcycle, or ATV -- the guardian/adult that gave him access would be properly assigned responsibility for the death.
Give me a break.
An 8 year old with a loaded uzi. What are we...Palestinians?
I can see the kid with a Red Rider or a .22 long rifle.
Definite screwup on the part of his old man.
If not voluntary, then probably involuntary
Of all the Uzi variants, the mini-Uzi is the HARDEST to control because the pistol itself has less mass than any of the other variants but yet shoots the same 9mm round. This is not the same Uzi that so many are use to seeing... The full size Uzi, if you tuck it in tight and lean into it, can empty the entire mag and stay on target. The mini-Uzi is a small, yet cumbersome (in my opinion) pistol that will indeed rotate upward if you do not understand how to fire a controlled burst. Let it rotate too far and this is what happens. I am by no means anti-gun - it is how I make my living. But at the least, someone in this incident is guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
Lord please take the child in your arms... May God bless the family and what they are about to go through...
Raven6
The father is criminally negligent, and should be punished to the maximum extent possible.
Stupahs like him give law-abiding gun owners a bad name.
I saw this story yesterday somewhere else. This poor little boy, surrounded by “adults” who should’ve known better. This would not have happened if any of those “adults” had had an ounce of common sense.
Exactly.
I can understand teaching a child about firearms (namely how to use the properly and safely), but why the hell did this boy’s father and the instructor allow this 8 year old to handle a weapon as powerful as an Uzi?
Both the father and the instructor present should be charged with negligent manslaughter.
Seems to me the dad did commit a criminal act... In Massachusetts, isn’t it a crime to give a firearm to a minor? If not, he is at least guilty of voluntary manslaughter. It is like putting a grenade in the lap of a blind parapalegic. The father killed the son, not the son killing himself. I hope they convict the bastard father.
The father, the "instructor" and anyone else who watched this happen.
According to the article, "It is legal in Massachusetts for children to fire a weapon if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian and they are supervised by a properly certified and licensed instructor, Nunez said." But this little boy obviously couldn't handle the weapon, and they should have known it.
This isn't just a tragedy - it ought to be a crime.
That said, in most cases, guns save lives, not take them. It is losers like this father who give the second amendment a bad name.
Exactly. Too many people are all-to-eager to blame the guns, and the morons who run this gun show just handed them a prime opportunity.
Not that I disagree with you but...I think he will be...and for the rest of his life.
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.