Boy Accidentally Kills Himself With Uzi

[Guest]

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[Safe_Bet]

Boy Accidentally Kills Himself With Uzi

8-Year-Old Fired Submachine Gun Under Adult Supervision At Massachusetts Gun Fair

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/27/national/main4547353.shtml

WESTFIELD, Mass., Oct. 27, 2008

(AP) An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.

The boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere said.

The boy was with a certified instructor and "was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury," a police statement said. Police called it a "self-inflicted accidental shooting."

The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died. His name was not released.

Although the death appears to be an accident, police and the Hampden district attorney's office were investigating, officials said.

(story continues)


Jesus. I have no words.

"Guns don't kill people" my ass. Certain types of guns do! What kind of a moronic, fucking asshole would let an 8 year old even HOLD a loaded machine gun? Now the poor child is dead and the stupid fucker is still walking this earth.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I'm all for teaching kids to handle guns properly but wtf? being let fire a freaking Uzi submachine gun at 8?

 

[jomar]

Me either.

Except to say certified my ass.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I'm all for teaching children how to handle bombs safely too. Bombs should only be used under adult supervision, of course, but if you teach kids proper respect for bombs when they're young, they're more likely to grow up to know how to handle bombs safely when they're adults, thus avoiding any bomb-related tragedies.

 

[cloudy]

I don't see anything particularly wrong with letting him fire it, but WTF was the instructor doing????

When I was in college, this idiot told me that "no woman can fire a .44 mag." When I repeated it to my father, first he said, "Oh, bullshit," then he took me outside with his, but it was loaded with his own loads (i.e., much more powerful). The first couple of rounds (commercial), I did fine, but when I got to his rounds, I didn't know, so was surprised, and the gun flew straight up. Granted, you shoot a pistol with your arms out, and a machine gun differently, but my father was there, right behind me, to catch it if it happened.

That's what the instructor should have been doing. This rests on him.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

But atleast the boy died while exercising his constitutional rights.

 

[epiphany65]

But atleast the boy died while exercising his constitutional rights.

Exactly. "Live free or die" goes the expression. He managed to do both. God bless America.

 

[Safe_Bet]

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Please don't make fun of the death of an eight year old. The tragic death of a young child is not humorous.


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[Selena_Kitt]

Okay. I really, really, really REALLY need to stop watching/reading the news. Really. This made me nauseous. Christ.

 

[Lisa Denton]

The gun safety instruction an 8 year old needs involves never touching any firearm. The instructor was certified, but was not in a mental hospital like he should have been.

Teaching a young, say 12-15 year old how to fire dad's hunting rifle is one thing, giving an 8 year old a fully automatic uzi is murder, no wonder it's still being investigated.

 

[sweetness6280]

We taught our children how to properly respect a firearm at an appropriate age. They each learned to shoot, when he/she was ready. We also showed them how destructive a gun can be, making sure they were each ready to handle whatever weapon they were learning at the time. This eliminated the "curiosity factor" in case they encountered a gun in someone else's home. At one point, my son even stopped a friend from taking his dad's gun out of the closet.

I'm sorry, 8 years old is too young, especially for this kind of gun.

What a senseless tragedy.

 

[impressive]

I'm sorry, 8 years old is too young, especially for this kind of gun.

Yeah, I agree. That judgment rests on the parents.

I also agree with cloudy, though, that the instructor could have prevented the tragedy.

 

[epiphany65]

There was also a shooting at a university in Arkansas last night that left 2 people dead and 1 wounded. Police have 2 suspects and are searching for 2 more.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

There was also a shooting at a university in Arkansas last night that left 2 people dead and 1 wounded. Police have 2 suspects and are searching for 2 more.

that isn't even related. When my son got his first .22 he walked across the street and proceeded to give his aunt a 20 minute lecture on gun safety, just like he'd been given. She was impressed and he was six. I'm with Sweetness and Cloudy on this one. We had an adult malfunction, a tragic one.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

We had an adult malfunction, a tragic one.

A stupid, unforgivable, heinous one.

Sorry. Pg hormones again.

Damn this thread.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

A stupid, unforgivable, heinous one.

Sorry. Pg hormones again.

Damn this thread.

That doesn't keep you from being right, yanno.

 

[epiphany65]

that isn't even related. When my son got his first .22 he walked across the street and proceeded to give his aunt a 20 minute lecture on gun safety, just like he'd been given. She was impressed and he was six. I'm with Sweetness and Cloudy on this one. We had an adult malfunction, a tragic one.

The two stories are linked by the gun culture in America. Three more people would be alive today if common sense prevailed rather than paranoia and a fascination with violence.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

The two stories are linked by the gun culture in America. Three more people would be alive today if common sense prevailed rather than paranoia and a fascination with violence.

That's a big leap in logic there. You might wanna look before you jump.

 

[Lisa Denton]

that isn't even related. When my son got his first .22 he walked across the street and proceeded to give his aunt a 20 minute lecture on gun safety, just like he'd been given. She was impressed and he was six. I'm with Sweetness and Cloudy on this one. We had an adult malfunction, a tragic one.

I agree that the ADULT instructor taught an 8 year old how to shoot himself in the head, the instructor was an idiot.

Also parents should have the right to decide when thier children are intelligent and responsible enough to handle firearms ..... but I think you are pushing it with a six year old and a 22, kids are kids even when they know it is not a toy.
Children need to be taught because they WILL make mistakes, younger children will make more mistakes.

Of course that is Just My Opinion, per usual.

 

[cloudy]

I agree that the ADULT instructor taught an 8 year old how to shoot himself in the head, the instructor was an idiot.

Also parents should have the right to decide when thier children are intelligent and responsible enough to handle firearms ..... but I think you are pushing it with a six year old and a 22, kids are kids even when they know it is not a toy.
Children need to be taught because they WILL make mistakes, younger children will make more mistakes.

Of course that is Just My Opinion, per usual.

By the age of seven, I was going to the range with my dad. I think a lot depends on the child.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

By the age of seven, I was going to the range with my dad. I think a lot depends on the child.

I doubt he was letting you shoot an Uzi, tho?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

that isn't even related. When my son got his first .22 he walked across the street and proceeded to give his aunt a 20 minute lecture on gun safety, just like he'd been given. She was impressed and he was six. I'm with Sweetness and Cloudy on this one. We had an adult malfunction, a tragic one.

You let a six year old kid have a .22???

Why? Because it's smaller than a .3006?

 

[Selena_Kitt]

You let a six year old kid have a .22???

Why? Because it's smaller than a .3006?

My husband would have my son with a .22 in a heartbeat (he's six) if I didn't break out in hives at the thought. We have bows and arrows (real ones) and that's more than enough for me at the moment. Rural American is very different... truly, everyone hunts out here, they actually USE their guns for a purpose other than gang violence, kwim?

 

[matriarch]

Shaking with anger at the stupidity of all concerned, the pointless, neglectful waste of a young, innocent life.

Sub machine guns are not for fun, recreation or children.

Ever.

Even taking into account the gun culture of USA, this is a new low.