Girl, 9, accidentally kills shooting instructor

[Deb in IA]

Now, who thought it would be a good idea for a 9-year old girl to shoot a Uzi sub-machine gun with live rounds?
(And yes, I have actually fired a Uzi before.)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/girl-accidentally-kills-instructor-firing-uzi/story?id=25139216



Girl, 9, Accidentally Kills Instructor While Firing an Uzi



Aug 27, 2014, 12:59 AM ET

By DAN GOOD


A 9-year-old girl being taught how to use an Uzi sub-machine gun lost control of the powerful weapon and accidentally killed her instructor, authorities said.

The shooting happened at 10 a.m. Monday at Arizona Last Stop shooting range, a tourist spot southeast of Las Vegas.

According to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office, the instructor –- identified as Charles Vacca, 39 –- was standing next to the girl, teaching her how to use the Uzi. The girl's parents, who are from New Jersey, stood nearby, capturing video of the experience.

The girl, in a gray T-shirt, pink shorts and her hair in a braid, can be seen in the video being advised to adjust her feet. "All right, go ahead and give me one shot," Vacca is heard telling her.

The instructor praises the girl for the shot and then tells her, "All right full auto."

As the girl pulled the trigger, and the recoil caused her to lose control of the gun, with Vacca accidentally shot in the head, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said. Vacca was flown to the University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Sam Scarmardo, the gun range operator, was distraught about Vacca's death.

"It's like losing a brother," Scarmardo said. "These aren't employees or associates of ours, these are family. We're all family."

Many gun ranges allow children who are 8 years and older –- with parental supervision –- to shoot firearms, Scarmardo said.

"We instruct kids as young as 5 on .22 rifles, and they don't get to handle high firearms, but they're under the supervision of their parents and of our professional range masters," Scarmardo said.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

There's another thread about this:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3322395

 

[penn19]

Just a freak accident, blah, blah, blah. Everyone should be able to have a gun My kid knows how to use a gun. The usual drill.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

An Uzi on full auto mode in the hands of a 9 year old
What could possibly go wrong?

Mom Dad Make sure you get this on tape for the Darwin awards.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

Just a freak accident, blah, blah, blah. Everyone should be able to have a gun My kid knows how to use a gun. The usual drill.

Apparently your trying to turn it into the usual drill. On gun forums I frequent the general concensus is this should have never happened because most agree that giving a 9yo girl an Uzi is a bad idea.

 

[kotajeff]

I feel that the instructor should've been assisting her in holding it. Maybe some rule and regulation changes are needed.


Jeff

Sent from my VS980 4G using DISBoards

 

[Oreo Cookie]

Bad decision by the parents and by the instructor. You should never give an UZI to a 9 year old to shoot.

 

[Wishing on a star]

There are no words....

 

[BigAlsGal]

Poor little girl. Shes gonna be traumatized for life.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Exactly...
Just totally devastating to BOTH families.

 

[Snoozan]

I feel a big part of the blame falls on the parent/parents who thought that this would be something 'fun' for the 9yo. Bad, bad idea all around. Now there are several families whose lives will never be the same - all over handing a child a weapon she should never have been allowed to touch. That poor child has to live with the knowledge she killed someone(albeit accidently)for the rest of her life.

 

[gwynne]

I feel a big part of the blame falls on the parent/parents who thought that this would be something 'fun' for the 9yo. Bad, bad idea all around. Now there are several families whose lives will never be the same - all over handing a child a weapon she should never have been allowed to touch. That poor child has to live with the knowledge she killed someone(albeit accidently)for the rest of her life.

For all intents and purposes, her childhood ended that day.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I feel a big part of the blame falls on the parent/parents who thought that this would be something 'fun' for the 9yo. Bad, bad idea all around. Now there are several families whose lives will never be the same - all over handing a child a weapon she should never have been allowed to touch. That poor child has to live with the knowledge she killed someone(albeit accidently)for the rest of her life.

I put it more on the range. Something similar happened a couple years ago with a small boy & a full-auto and the shooter (the boy) was killed when he lost control of the recoil. The weapons experts should know what a child can & can not be expected to handle & should have policies against this bad combo:

Short barrel
Full auto
Inexperienced shooter
Small child

 

[LisaR]

I put it more on the range. Something similar happened a couple years ago with a small boy & a full-auto and the shooter (the boy) was killed when he lost control of the recoil. The weapons experts should know what a child can & can not be expected to handle & should have policies against this bad combo:

Short barrel
Full auto
Inexperienced shooter
Small child

I am not a weapons expert, but I know that a 9 y/o should NOT fire an Uzi. I know they don't include every single detail in those parenting books to describe every situation one might encounter, but even a parent with half of a brain should never give permission to allow their 9 y/o to fire an Uzi.

 

[skylizard]

For all intents and purposes, her childhood ended that day.

Sadly. How terrible for all involved.

 

[usd2bmd]

Yes, a tragedy that very easily could have been avoided, if any of the "adults" there had acted like adults.

Why as a parent do you feel the need to let your child handle a gun like that?
Why as an instructor, who should have known that a gun like that takes a lot of strength for a grown man to handle, would you think that a nine year old would be okay?

Now a nine year old will live her whole life rethinking that day because nobody could think on that day.

 

[summerblue]

My 9 year old DD is a pretty darn good shot, participates in shooting competitions. That being said, as experienced with guns as she is I would not allow her to handle an Uzi, or other large full automatic, the recoil is to much for a kid that size.

 

[gwynne]

Yes, a tragedy that very easily could have been avoided, if any of the "adults" there had acted like adults.

Why as a parent do you feel the need to let your child handle a gun like that?
Why as an instructor, who should have known that a gun like that takes a lot of strength for a grown man to handle, would you think that a nine year old would be okay?

Now a nine year old will live her whole life rethinking that day because nobody could think on that day.

There are lots of hobbies and activities that a 9 year old can participate in, safely. That's part of parenting-- understanding consequences, reasonable safety, and what constitutes age appropriate activities.

Why all the adults seemed to be focused on rushing her into something like this I will never understand. Crazy.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Why does ANYONE need to shoot an Uzi ?

For the record I am NOT anti-gun.

What a tragedy.

 

[JanaDee]

There are lots of hobbies and activities that a 9 year old can participate in, safely. That's part of parenting-- understanding consequences, reasonable safety, and what constitutes age appropriate activities.

Why all the adults seemed to be focused on rushing her into something like this I will never understand. Crazy.

I tend to be anti-gun, but shooting age appropriate weapons under supervision is something I have no problem with a 9 year old doing as an activity.