Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show

Monday, October 27, 2008

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, Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn., 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.

Christopher died at Baystate Medical Center.

Police said the boy's father was at the gun fair and accompanied his son in the ambulance, but it wasn't clear if he was at the firing range with Christopher at the time of the accident. Police didn't give the father's name.

Although police called it a "self-inflicted accidental shooting," police and the Hampden district attorney's office were investigating, officials said.

"We are going to review all the circumstance regarding what happened, who was involved, what authorities they may or may not have had, who was supervising," District Attorney William Bennett said Monday.

It is legal for children to fire a weapon if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian and are supervised by a properly certified and licensed instructor, Lt. Hipolito Nunez said.

Those conditions were met in this case, he said. He declined to release the supervisor's name.

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 are allowed to fire weapons at vehicles, pumpkins and other targets, it said.

Officials of the private club and the firearms group could not be reached for comment. There was no response to a message left on a club answering machine. 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 promoting "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

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Ban the guns!


Oooops, they have already in Mass haven't they?

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I am very sorry to hear of any tragedy involing the death of a youngster.
It is even MORE tragic that the event will be twisted into shrill Liberal screaching for government sanctions against our freedom.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Yes, instead of underscoring firearm safety it will be used as evidence in support of gun-control.

I'm tempted to make a comment about "gun-control" or the lack thereof in this case but the gravity of the situation really drains me of my characteristic humor.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Edit: My bad, he likely died from the bullet, not the recoil. I misread it.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Well, after re-reading the article, I still find it hard to believe anyone would let an 8 year old shoot a Uzi sub-machine gun (I am assuming) in full-auto mode? Still not sure how he managed to shoot himself or where the instructor was standing...he should have at least held it for him until he was sure the boy could handle it by himself.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

No, I think what Osaka is saying is that the headline is intentionally misleading, implying some kind of wrongdoing, such as suicide. "Boy shoots self" is technically accurate if I read the article correctly, but it will cause the gun-grabbers to freak out, of course.

"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."

See!! Even under professional supervision guns kill children!! BAAAAAANNNNN!!!

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I am not familiar with this gun other than on TV...Is an 8 y.o a little young to be handling it?

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Oddly enough, I know someone who helped organize that shoot. I sure hope he wasn't the instructor involved.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Is it? In my mind, shooting oneself means that the ammunition caused the death, not the recoil.

Edit: Nope, you're right. The ammo likely killed him.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

The police said that the boy "ended up receiving a round in his head." How is that not caused by ammunition?

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

No doubt, "accidentally shot self in head" conjures up only one image in my mind.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

The gun club, the instructor, and the parents are responsible for this boy's tragic and unnecessary death. He was only doing what the adults were encouraging him to do in one form or another.

This is no different than letting him get in a race car and take off on the track...you just don't allow it at such a young age.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Sorry. You're right. I misread it.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

This is the type of FU*KTARDISM that provides the Anti-Gun Nuts deadly ammunition against us.

The guy "supervising" the kid gives the Brady Bunch's and Hollywood's stereotypes of reckless "gun nuts" complete substance.

I'd have been leery of letting an 8-year old "play" with a 20 gauge...

With pro-gun "friends" like the rangemaster, who needs enemies?




(I'm going to lay off the dad, since he's received enough punishment from this event - but it would certainly appear that he's at least partly to blame)

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Not "just" an Uzi - a semi-automatic one - but based on the circumstances, apparently a full-auto one!

If only a semi, the kid should have completely lost control of the weapon before being able to pull the trigger again, and the bullet would have been out of the muzzle before it was pointing at his head.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Depending on where you live...

You have to be 16-18 to legally drive a car, some places 15 with a learners permit.

You have to be 18 to vote.

You have to be 18-21 to legally consume alcohol.

But an 8 year old can fire an automatic weapon at a gun range. Makes perfect sense. :sarcasm:


Talk about swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool.


.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Tragic. Failure on so many levels.
Take care,
Mod1

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Thinking and doing the right thing are not, heard of, or thought of, in this country much today.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

My favorite moment at my local gun range was the guy who was struggling to mount a scope on his .22 pistol. He struggled mightily to get that attachment on to the mounting rails, bracing it against his belly, then his chest, while sweeping the other patrons. He waved me over to help him. Turned out he had one in the chamber the whole time.

Ain't no IQ test required for gun ownership. :Surrender:

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

As a matter of adult responsibility you do not allow a youngster to handle a firearm until you have watched him for a while and seen that he has sufficient muscle control and neat habits. By neat habits I mean he doesn't abandon his bike in the driveway or lose battery covers from electronic units and stuff like that. Those things usually develop some time between ages 7 and 10. (Boys as young as 6 have earned pilot licenses, so there are exceptions.)

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I read a story about a guy who modified his colt.45 to full auto and apparently a full auto 45 is uncontrollable. shot himself in the head.

dont know if its urban legend or not but it reminds me of this story.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I imagine it would take profound gunsmithing skill to modify a pistol into a machine pistol like that.

Too bad gunsmithing skill and common sense aren't synonymous.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

It's a simple matter of filing the sear, and the result is that it either fires a whole clip or jams. They are notoriously unreliable.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Horrible stuff happens to children on a daily basis.

But, I wouldn't let any 8-yr-old I know shoot an uzi.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

THAT, GENTLEMAN is the CRUX of this tragedy. THE GUN NUT in this story is NOT the child, it is the photo snappin' FATHER!

Your's truly is not a jerk without feelings in this tragic loss of life, but I am grateful for 3 things:
1) that no one else was injured, including the younger brother present AND WATCHING--GOOD GOD IN HEAVEN HAVE MERCY ON THAT CHILD!!! nor any other attendee shot or wounded.
2) 2nd amendment freedom fighters have one less nutcase in our ranks as that colosally irresponsible SET OF PARENTS, especially the FATHER, have to endure the consequences of his habitual irresponsibility. :censored:
3) One less "gun safety instructor" who has the spine of a jelly fish and the demonstrated common sense of a slug.

What a sad day for that child's entire community, including grieving grandparents. :bawling:

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Tragic, but really an incredibly rare event. More kids killed skateboarding this year more likely...

A .22 is much more suitable for a child to use, and always under proper supervision, and a great chance to teach safe gun handling rules and techniques to a child. Wish some adults would learn them...

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Anyone want to place money on the dad shooting himself in the days to come? I know I would have trouble living with myself if I gave a freaking Uzi to my 8 year old to go at it full auto.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Frankly, yours truly would be more impressed if the Father went and had a vasectomy.

There's an obvious need to man up here. He still has responsibilities that are HIS and HIS ALONE, as he has a wife and second living child, regardless of how "bad" he feels.:censored:

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

More kids will die over the course of the year from swimming pool and car accidents than gunshot wounds.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

And that absolves the parental units in swimming pool & car "accidents" in just specifically what manner of speaking?:banghead:

minimalists need not respond.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Yup....

It is sad.

It is also incredibly rare.

The method of death is the ONLY reason this is a story...children drown every day and no-one cares to write articles about that.

My niece and enphew from Australia were over and shot my AR,.357 and 870 shotgun,they had great fun doing so....but of course w ewatched them carefully.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

It doesn't absolve the parents one bit. But, the fact of the matter is that more kids will die from non firearm related accidents than firearm related accidents.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

A couple of months back, I gave a 10-year-old an intro to some pistols. You had best believe that it was single shot only with me very close and ready to jump in at a 1/4 second notice, at least until he had demonstrated that he could handle the situation and follow instructions. I've seen the young ones just totally forget what they are doing and turn around to ask a question while waving a loaded muzzle. Come to think of it I've seen adults do that too.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I can't count how many times I've been laughed at for repeatedly checking a known empty chamber before setting a firearm down or handing it to another person.
Dumbasses do not take gun safety seriously.
Then there are the dumbasses who fear that all guns are going to grow sentient and aim themselves at your face and go into full auto mode.
Guns are tools. Very dangerous tools. So are table saws. Both maim and kill. Only one is legislated to pieces despite Constitutional reprieve.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Tragic.

This will only be used as another club to beat us with under the Obama administration.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Yours truly begs to differ. It would have been more accurate to state that it is highly unlikely on a FIREARMS THREAD that no one is likely to bring up drowning stories of children.

Well, since you brought it up:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ts&btnG=Search :banghead:

Are you also implying that when your children are around swimming opportunities you do NOT watch them nor take your parental duties extremely seriously as "swim instructors/supervisors/lifeguards?" :thumpdown

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

some parties on this forum, yours truly muses, only regret re: firearms and Nobama is that the FBI discovered the plot prior to the intended consequence in the last 72 hours.

Do you still think that would be:
A) tragic
B) something to club the 2nd Amendment freedom lovers with?

hmmm:15_1_70v:

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

You are an apparent wacko. It is interesting to see the vicious and primitive vitriol dripping from all the haters at the prospect of a mixed race man being in a leadership position. I was all Ron Paul during most of this race and didn't pay much attention to Obama, but in recent weeks I find myself defending him because of all the vicious exaggerated attacks that have little to do with honest policy differences.

I'm beginning to understand why the elite's have created a system to limit and control the most primitive instincts in a large part of the population.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Where have you seen any attacks on Obama in this thread about his race?

So now if someone says the truth about Obama and his proven legislative record with regards to his hatred of firearms and the 2nd amendment, that person is a hater and a racist?

The right to bear arms is whats known as an inalienable right. It is in the constitution. Being against slick politician that has an anti-gun, anti-self defence, anti-CCW record is a little larger than simple policy differences.

Its called defending our civil rights.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

The is the classic attack from the closet Marxists like Atahualpa (obvious by his support of Obama and his communistic policies). They play the race card out of nowhere in order to "win" the debate. Any disagreement with Obama means you are racist and that is the secret reason why you don't want him as president.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

I don't dislike Obama because of his race, it is his radical leftist philosophy. I would be perfectly fine with someone like Thomas Sowell as president.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

Little Napoleon complex, I have no Marxist tendencies, but you are all about race with no real substance which renders you in my eyes as an inferior. You are apparently a very young and repressed individual...good luck rising to any level of achievement with your one track mind.

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

But you still didnt show where Obamas race came anywhere in the discussion.

I can name 10 things off the top of my head about why I dont like Obama and race isnt one of them. His outright disdain for my civil right to own, carry, use in self-defense, a firearm is on top of the list of negatives.

Just because I dont like Obama because of his radical leftist policies or his self proclaimed love of Marxist agitators, doesnt mean Im a racist.

As a matter of fact, I grew up in a 85-90% black neighborhood and have had more black friends than about 8/10s of white people.

Now with that said, since Im first and foremost 110% pro second amendment. Why would I vote for a person to be president of the United States that has a proven anti-gun legislation record and has chosen a running mate whom was the author of the unconstitutional and uneffective assault weapons ban?

BTW - Barr 08!

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

A pilot's License at 6? ....Really? 6 years old? Damn, aren't there age restrictions? When did he start? when he was 4 or 5? 6 years old is First grade in most places

Re: Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show
 

http://www.usatoday.com/educate/flight/page5.htm

Youngest pilot = 7yo.
Doesn't say she was licensed just that she flew.
Crashed, burned, all dead. Lesson learned?

Written test min age = 15yo
Min age for pilot license = 17yo