Associated Press – October 27, 2008:

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.




  1. grog says:

    sorry folks,

    but you can’t have it both ways, the constitution protects both the guns you don’t like and the speech you don’t like.

    there are ways you can legally repeal amendments to the constitution, in the way they repealed prohibition (thank god!).

    weaken one leg of the constitution, and the lawyers will destroy the rest post haste. this is what gun control laws do.

    the constitution is what keeps us from anarchy. don’t fuck with it.

  2. Paddy-O says:

    #62 Well, one way to get rid of speech you don’t want is to get rid of guns you don’t like. That is the historically proven successful formula of dictators…

  3. Paddy-O says:

    #61 “So it’s “Better the devil I know”?”

    No its; What have I ignored?

    But, I can only go off what Obama says. What else am I supposed to go off of?

    Since you accused you should be able to answer. If not, you’re just trolling.

  4. J says:

    # 62 grog

    It is fully possible to support the 2nd amendment without supporting ownership of certain weapons and also ownership by people a stupid as the ones letting their 8 year old fire an UZI.

    They do not stand in opposition.

    # 64 Paddy the Ignorant Shit Talker

    We know what you think of black people so your comments on Obama have no meaning.

  5. Fix says:

    “The US gun laws are crazy – and only the Americans disagree. Sad.”

    Too true. Imagine an Uzi in every home and happy people smiling as they shoot the mailman for trespassing. Jehovah’s Witnesses….hmmmm..well ok, just flash it around in their faces.
    The NRA is just like the tobacco industry which promotes ways for people to kill themselves. dealersindeath.com is still available.

  6. Paddy-O says:

    #65 J “We know what you think of black people so your comments on Obama have no meaning.”

    Omama is black? I thought he was Anglo, like his mom.

    Wow! Who woulda thought?

  7. Grey says:

    “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”

    ya, ok.

    Lots of people defending guns as being no more likely to kill someone than a car or being electrocuted. There is one SUBTLE difference though… guns are DESIGNED with the express purpose of killing people.

    A hunting rifle is one thing, it has another, very logical purpose (even if it’s one I don’t particularly agree with), but what purpose does an UZI hold? So you can defend your country from invasion? Yessir, I’m quite certain that you are proficient enough to use it against invaders without killing other Americans, and you know well enough to seek cover so you don’t get your head blown off 2 seconds after you pull the trigger.

    What other reason could you have? Insurrection against a corrupt government? Ok, sure, why not. Lets see how far you get with your little UZI against the American Army.

    The average gun owner is nowhere near as effective in the use of that weapon as a trained soldier, and even then, the difference between a technologically advanced military and an average military is almost a joke. Why do you think America pretty much walked through Afghanistan and Iraq? The difference is, do you know guerrilla tactics? Can you survive in the hills for years on end making insurgent strikes?

  8. Paddy-O says:

    #68 And professional journalists can run circles around an average citizen with “speech” skills. So, only the “press” should have free speech rights.

    Got it. Thanks.

    BTW – read the entirety of the recent SCotUS 2nd Amend decision.

  9. Derik says:

    I would think that of all people who could appreciate our 2nd amendment, it would be the Europeans. Apparently they have a very short memory. As someone myself who came from Europe to America, I can say I’m glad we have a 2nd amendment to own military firearms. Remember, America was founded by ordinary citizens resisting their government. Our founders wisely knew this would be needed again and made provisions for it.

    You Europeans who think that military arms have no business in the hands of citizens are naive. Does Hitler ring a bell? How about the Soviets? The French citizenry fighting the occupiers in WWII were sure glad they had arms, weren’t they? Same for the Polish, et al. With the number of wars in the past 100-200 years in Europe, you’d think by now the citizenry would realize the importance of an armed populace. Heck, even the Swedes know the importance of keeping an armed population. One benefit is that it acts as a deterrent against invasion.

    Knowing that as occupiers, an aggressor would have to deal with sustained, guerrilla warfare, they might think twice. Then again, that doesn’t apply to America. It seems to have not given a $hit and invaded Iraq anyways; thinking that a clear cut military victory was the be-all and end-all of conflict. You’d think the British could’ve warned them. They have experience with those sorts of things (India).

  10. J says:

    # 69 Paddy Cake the Ignorant Shit Talker

    “Omama is black? I thought he was Anglo, like his mom.”

    Technically he is biracial but his skin color is brown and that seems to be enough for people like you who are racist.

  11. Paddy-O says:

    #71 JJ said, “Technically he is biracial but his skin color is brown”

    Wow again! He’s like me!

  12. J says:

    # 70 Derik

    “The French citizenry fighting the occupiers in WWII were sure glad they had arms, weren’t they? Same for the Polish, et al.”

    And how did that work out for them?? lol

    It isn’t the 2nd amendment that is the problem it is certain people and how they interpret it.

  13. J says:

    # 72 Paddy Cake the Ignorant Shit Talker

    There is plenty of biracial people that hate part or all of their ancestry. It doesn’t change the fact that you are a racist and support the decision that said people of African American decent are not citizens and that slavery is ok.

  14. J says:

    Yes Mr. Mustard my s key is broken. descent.

  15. Paddy-O says:

    #74 J

    Like you I think the majority rules. Right?

    So, if the majority want slavery then it is legal and moral. You agree, right?

  16. J says:

    # 76 Paddy the Ignorant Shit Talker.

    Nope!

  17. Derik says:

    #73 J: “And how did that work out for them?? lol”

    Huh? You’re right. Best not to fight back against invaders. Bend over and lube up J.

  18. Paddy-O says:

    #77 J said,

    “Nope!”

    So, the majority doesn’t rule. Cool, then I guess it would be the minority?

  19. J says:

    # 78 Derik

    “You’re right. Best not to fight back against invaders.”

    Not the point. The point is that it was futile.

    #79 Paddy Cake the Ignorant Shit Talker.

    Nope! and Nope!

    Why don’t you learn about our form of government before you come on here and make yourself look the fool?

  20. Paddy-O says:

    #80 J babbled, “Nope! and Nope!”

    So, with our form of gov’t the majority can’t make laws that everyone has to follow.

    “Interesting” take on things.

    Thanks for clarifying your muddled state of mind.

  21. J says:

    # 81 Paddy Cake the Ignorant Shit Talker

    Why don’t you look up Constitutional Republic and try, REALLY TRY, to understand how it functions.

    It is easy to combat your posts because you are so predictable and ignorant.

  22. Paddy-O says:

    #82 J

    So please show where laws cannot be made by the majority that apply to everyone… Waiting…

  23. Olo Baggins of Bywater says:

    Paddy is a troll.

  24. J says:

    # 83 Paddy the Ignorant Shit Talker

    When I said try and understand, I guess I expecting too much from you. With every post you increasingly display your incredible ignorance.

    Let me know when you understand how Constitutional Republic works.

  25. Paddy-O says:

    #85 J, “Let me know when you understand how Constitutional Republic works.”

    Well, according to you it has nothing to do with the passing of laws by a majority of Congress. What Constitution did YOU read?

    Sorry, you got cornered and couldn’t answer a simple Q as you know you’d subsequently be owned.

    Sad, sad, sad.

  26. Paddy-O says:

    # 84 Olo Baggins of Bywater said,
    “Paddy is a troll.”

    No, that would be Sea Troll (see posts above)

  27. ECA says:

    WOW,
    a parent that DIDNT TEACH the 2 handed method to HOLD A GUN…

    The parent DIDNT BRACE THE KID, for a first FIRING of the gun.

    The parent WANT SMART and set the gun for BURST FIRE..or EVEN single fire so the kid could get USED TO THE KICK.

  28. J says:

    # 86 Paddy Cake the Ignorant Shit Talker

    “Well, according to you it has nothing to do with the passing of laws by a majority of Congress.”

    LOL I never said anything even close to that. Nice try even though that too is not how it works especially when the law violates the constitution or the President vetoes. Therefore even a Majority of the Congress still does not rule. DUMBASS!!!!

    Why don’t you learn about a Constitutional Republic and get back to me?

    “What Constitution did YOU read?”

    The U.S. Constitution. Apparently you haven’t bothered.

    “Sorry, you got cornered and couldn’t answer a simple Q as you know you’d subsequently be owned.”

    LOL ROTFLMAO

    ORIGINAL QUESTIONS:

    “Like you I think the majority rules. Right?” – PCIST #76

    “So, if the majority want slavery then it is legal and moral. You agree, right?” – PCIST #76

    The answer to both of those questions is and always will be NO!!!!

  29. Stephanie says:

    Paddy,

    What is sick here is that you mock the death of an 8 year old child. The little boy didn’t know any better, that is what his parents were for. That is a life that was cut short in the most senseless of ways.

    Our founding fathers probably couldn’t fathom in their wildest dreams what sort of powerful firearm technology we have today. I would have a very hard time believing that they would think an UZI in the hands of laypeople would ever be appropriate.

    I feel sorry for you that you clearly have no empathy and feel no sadness for this tragedy.

  30. brendal says:

    #14 – When Obama comes to “spread my wealth”


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