An 8-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision in western Massachusetts.
Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere says 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 say the force of the weapon made it “travel up and back” to the boy’s head.
The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.
His name was not immediately released.
Update – The Associated Press as added some details to this tragic story:
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.
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 shooting 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.
Before everyone criticizes me for my “offensive” post, I just wanted to point out that it was nothing compared to letting an 8 year old shoot an Uzi!
Does the 2nd ammendment apply for underage citizens also?
This is a parent issue, not a gun issue. This is the same as if a parent let their kid race carts too young/unprepared and he flipped it in a turn and killed themselves. The parent(s) involved should be charged with reckless endangerment.
Change the word “Uzi” to bicycle, skates, or hockey stick and see what the left wingers have to say about this story?
Adult supervision?
A gun of this power need not be legal. What possible use can an average citizen have for it.
zero empathy for gun freaks, jail the perants
#4…if it were any of those objects, even say a kitchen blender, the manufacturer would be sued and pay out a lot. We could reasonably argue about fault in such a case. Problem is, suing a manufacturer for things like this brings out all the 2nd amendment nutjobs, and the full force of the gun nut lobby.
…I own guns, I shoot guns, I like them. But I’m not one of those assholes who feels any regulation is infringing on my rights to pretend I have a really big d!ck.
If it would just be the right to shoot yourself. *g*
I appreciate how it came to the right to bear arms and why this is important. But honestly America scares me in this regard.
And look what you get. Scared Police, scared neighbours, scared teachers… Everyone expects the worst.
Maybe that’s only in the movies… But why are there taser victims in regular police checks and schools with metal detectors?
Uzi is Hebrew for hitting everything in the room. EVERYTHING. A child does not have the strength to aim this type of weapon. An experienced weapons honcho would have trouble with a constant fire pattern.
I do think that if kids need to use guns (because of their parents), they should be restricted to pellet type guns. Better to loose an eye because of your parents than to loose your life.
Pellet / Air is the way I learned to shoot and gives you a level of safey and some time to respect a weapon.
There is no reason why an 8 year old needs an uzi. Heck, why anyone needs an uzi. It’s a war weapon. Clearly the parent should be charged since they did not realize that a gun is to kill with (Animals, People and Targets).
#4… that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day. Simply dumb. That’s like saying replace the planes with kites on 911.
Here a site that lists the top causes of childhood death in the US.
As #6 Rakarich noted, there is no reason to have swimming pools or lakes be legal, what possible use could the average citizen have for deep bodies of water?
Sounds like Evolution in Action to me: it’s not enough to have kids, you also have to ensure they get old enough to breed the next generation of NRA members. I expect this kid’s parents will receive a Darwin Award.
#12 Paddy-O:
Instead of a snide comment, how about answering the question I posed… What possible situation in everyday life does someone need an Uzi?
Answer seriously not with a bad joke.
#14 I did answer. You’re a bit too slow to figure it out though.
No. You put words in my mouth. You created an untrue analogy
#16 Keep working on it. Your IQ will determine how long it takes you to understand the answer.
#12 – O’Furniture
The number 1 cause of death is “Mohor vehicle traffic”. What is a mohor vehicle?
Didn’t they have a sign that said: “You have to be this tall to fire this AUTOMATIC WEAPON” !!! With the mark set to about SEVEN FEET !!!
There is no doubt about it, 8 years old should not be firing Uzi’s. Both the parents and the sports club should know better.
However, Uzis should not be illegal because an 8 year old shot himself with one, they should be illegal because it is stupid to allow citizens to own and keep any weapon that is can used to kill a lot of people quickly. If citizens do own weapons that can kill a lot of people quickly, a lot of people die, often quickly, because of them.
#20 DCI Gene Hunt said, “they should be illegal because it is stupid to allow citizens to own and keep any weapon that is can used to kill a lot of people quickly.”
I’m afraid the Founders of this country disagreed with your “logic”, fortunately.
#4, Hal,
Change the word “Uzi” to bicycle, skates, or hockey stick …
OK,
Bicycle, a two wheeled vehicle meant to carry a person distances with little effort. Recognized as an Olympic sport.
Skates, sharp bladed boots meant to travel over ice with control. Recognized in several Olympic sports.
Hockey stick, a wood shaped impliment used to play hockey with. Recognized in an Olympic sport.
Uzi, a small automatic firearm used to kill people with. Only sport is shooting Palestinians, which doesn’t count as an Olympic sport.
4,
I had to chuckle at your comment right after mine. Can’t you read?
paddy-o,
Do you go out of your way to be a troll, or do you just like being an ass?
RE: my #22, it is spelled implEment.
Sorry, haven’t had time for the first coffee to hit me yet.
#22 “Only sport is shooting Palestinians, which doesn’t count as an Olympic sport.”
That’s only because it has been hard to sign up Pali’s for it. No other reason really.
#21, Cow-Paddy Shit Talker,
I’m afraid the Founders of this country disagreed with your “logic”, fortunately.
Actually no, you are wrong again. If you happened to read the Constitution, which although you claim to be an expert have never apparently ever read, states,:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
See? Nothing about eight yr olds having guns or guns that allow the citizenry to wantonly kill each other.
I have to echo Alix’s remark in #21.
First for all those who a saying the UZI is to powerful for someone to own. The 2nd Amendment was to protect weapons of war. On of the arguments to ban the sawed off Shotguns was that it had no military use. Which was BS because the Military was using them but that’s a different argument. Second it is illegal to own fully automatic weapons without a special permit. It is not like buying a hand gun or rifle. You have to apply for a special permit and get fingerprinted. You also need permission I think from the local police. God help you if you gun is ever used in a crime. Personally I would never own a UZI because the suck.
As for the parent or even the owner of the gun (Article didn’t say who owned the gun) I would almost never let an 8 year old. I have fired automatic weapon and it’s real hard to keep them from walking up if you not used to them and even when you are. You can modify or design the gun to reduce this effect. Some of your better guns are. But not and UZI, it’s just a piece of junk to spray lead.
#26 “the right of the people”
You always forget that part and the way it is used in the rest of the BoR’s too.
Fortunately, the SC can read, unlike you.
SN – If you suspect that your post might be considered offensive, why did you do it?
As a second amendment issue, this doesn’t apply. The weapon was probably the property of the range.
A weight and height limit should be established by the range, along the lines of amusement park rides.
Firearms education is very important. There is nothing short of a one-on-one police state that can guarantee your kid will not handle a firearm. Uzis included.
As a ten year old I had a friend lined up in the sights of a rifle. Nothing happened fortunately, but that “sight picture” still pops into my head 50 years later. When the friend died of cancer a few years ago, I thought how lucky I was that he got to do that.
Letting an eight year old fire an Uzi may not have been a great idea. Letting an eight year old learn about firearms may not be soon enough.
what a horrible tragedy. as a parent, i cannot imagine the grief and guilt that boy’s parents must feel.
but look people, the 2nd amendment is just a valuable as the 1st and the 4th and 19th, et al.
this tragic incident is one more reason why i will never store guns in my house.
but that’s my choice, that’s my right.
if you want to repeal the 2nd amendment, then repeal it, otherwise, you’re just chipping away at the validity of the whole constitution.
i know this, and i’m a freaking liberal.
i hate agreeing paddy-o, absolutely hate it. lol!