Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show

[jaeger45]

Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show


WESTFIELD, Mass. — 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.

The club said on its Web site that the event, run in conjunction with C.O.P Firearms and Training, is "all legal and fun." People will be allowed to fire weapons at vehicles, pumpkins and other targets, it said.

Officials with the private club and the firearms group could not be reached for comment. A message left on a club answering machine was not returned. The C.O.P. group's machine clicked off without taking a message.

The sportsman's club was founded in 1949 and describes itself on its Web site as an organization that promotes "the interest of legal sport with rod, gun, and bow and arrow, both directly and through training."

It has eight firing ranges as well as archery and fishing facilities located on 375 acres in Westfield, about 100 miles west of Boston.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444180,00.html

[bearandoldman]

saw someplace on the web that the father of the boy is a Doctor an the head of the ER at that hospital. If you ask me 8 years old is too young t understand the results of using a firearm.

[Bullseye]

Terrible tragedy but letting an eight year old shoot a SMG is not a good idea. Muzzle flip with the short barreled SMGs is more pronounced than one might think.

R,
Bullseye

[PISTOLERO]

What kind of irresponsible imbecile is going to let a 8 year old child fire a machine gun.Certified??? Certified in what ? STUPIDITY. SOME one should be held accountable. As a father of a five year old girl ;my heart goes out to the parents.
I would not let some adults( term used loosely) handle a .22 much less an UZI.. Stupid is as stupid does.

[ddd482]

a bad thing-

[Dwight45]

I heard about another range where you can shoot machine guns, but they wisely attach a chain from the barrel to the floor so that can't happen. Of course I feel for the family of that boy, but I almost feel sorry for the guy who's responsible for his death. He'll be haunted the rest of his life.

[KAZ]

This is sad, but very old news boys.

[bearandoldman]

This is sad, but very old news boys.

Like 9 months old, and yes it was sad but life is not all happy all the time either. The Lord works in strange ways.

[Dwight45]

OK, it's old news. But some of us hadn't had a chance to comment on it and, being a life-and-death safety issue, it's still worthy of discussion, no?

[KAZ]

You are correct that we should never miss an opportunity to show everyone just how dangerous gun firing and Gun Shows can be. After all, the headline said that a boy had shot himself with a UZI at a Gun Show. Regards