Kids and Guns

[CPT Tripss]

A 9-year-old girl learning to fire a submachine gun accidentally killed her instructor at a shooting range when the weapon recoiled over her shoulder, according to Arizona authorities.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/arizona-girl-fatal-shooting-accident/index.html

Was anyone thinking?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Wow. I mean, first, that poor instructor's family, but second.... holy crap, that poor girl. She'll have to live with that her whole life.

 

[gwynne]

No they were not. And now a 9 year old will live every day for the rest of her life knowing exactly what happened when the trigger was pulled. It is absolutely heartbreaking. No agenda could possibly be worth this.

 

[Lynne M]

No, nobody was thinking. I've read soldiers say that the recoil of an Uzi on automatic was hard to handle. Grown, strong men, used to handling weapons.

You'd think the instructor would have known that, and would never have given it to a child.

You'd think the parents would know better than to put their child in that situation. I bet you they never would have let their 9-year-old drive their car. But a powerful weapon meant for adult soldiers that can blow someone's head off? Sure!

Wasn't there a story awhile back about an 8 year old who shot himself in the face with a similar weapon? He couldn't handle the recoil and lost control of it?

My heart breaks for that poor little girl. I can't imagine what that must have looked like up close. She's going to need therapy for the rest of her life.

 

[marmalade]

I immediately thought of this story when I heard this

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27399337/...ccidentally-kills-self-gun-show/#.U_32i2PwljA

Both cases are heartbreaking, but so preventable.

 

[JanaDee]

No, that instructor wasn't thinking and now he's dead.

That poor girl has to live with the consequences of his stupidity for the rest of her life.

 

[Jennasis]

Completely senseless. Why does a 9 year old child need to learn how to fire an Uzi?

 

[Planogirl]

This is so sad. I guess that it's good that no one else was hurt but I feel so bad for the instructor's family and this poor girl.

 

[wdwmom2]

Completely senseless. Why does a 9 year old child need to learn how to fire an Uzi?

This was my first thought!

 

[LilyWDW]

No, that instructor wasn't thinking and now he's dead.

That poor girl has to live with the consequences of his stupidity for the rest of her life.

As well as the lack of thinking of her own parents. I don't think one can put 100% of the blame on the instructor. I don't know ANY parents who would have allowed their child to handle that sort of weapon. And this includes parents who have allowed a 9 year old (and other "younger" ages) to shoot a handgun. Including my own back in the day.

 

[Kristina]

I don't understand how it's even legal. Like an above poster said, you don't let a 9 yr old drive a car, and an uzi to boot. Tragic, tragic and totally insane.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

As well as the lack of thinking of her own parents. I don't think one can put 100% of the blame on the instructor. I don't know ANY parents who would have allowed their child to handle that sort of weapon. And this includes parents who have allowed a 9 year old (and other "younger" ages) to shoot a handgun. Including my own back in the day.

True. But the business offered this as a service. They should not be surprised that parents sign their kids up.

We use the scouting rules--bb only until about age 12 or 13 (not sure the age for when the levels switch). After that, I don't know what is specifically used. My girls get shooting sports as an offering beginning next summer and my son is only 7. All have only shot BB's. (Girls because their group used Boy Scout facilities.)

The only other thing they all do is Archery.

 

[TAX GUY]

There's another thread about the same topic..... would it be better to merge them so the discussion is in one place?

 

[Luvchefmic]

Completely senseless. Why does a 9 year old child need to learn how to fire an Uzi?

I'll expand on your question as I asked this on the other thread: Why does ANYONE need to fire an Uzi ?

again for the record I am in no way anti-gun. This is such a tragedy.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

No, nobody was thinking. I've read soldiers say that the recoil of an Uzi on automatic was hard to handle. Grown, strong men, used to handling weapons.

You'd think the instructor would have known that, and would never have given it to a child.

You'd think the parents would know better than to put their child in that situation. I bet you they never would have let their 9-year-old drive their car. But a powerful weapon meant for adult soldiers that can blow someone's head off? Sure!

Wasn't there a story awhile back about an 8 year old who shot himself in the face with a similar weapon? He couldn't handle the recoil and lost control of it?

My heart breaks for that poor little girl. I can't imagine what that must have looked like up close. She's going to need therapy for the rest of her life.

To be clear, it's not the lower level that is the issue. The average deer rifle is 4-5 times more powerful than an Uzi. The issue is controlling the recoil under full-auto.


And yes, there was that other incident not that long ago & anyone who owns a range should have been aware of that - as well as the potential for it to happen again

 

[Grmnshplvr]

A 9 year old and an Uzi. What could go wrong?

 

[Mama2girlz]

21 to drink a beer but 8 to handle a weapon. Priorities are all wrong!

 

[Robinrs]

Dumbest thing I've ever heard. So sad that someone lost their life because of it but maybe now there will be better rules and regs. That poor child, she has to live the rest of her life knowing she shot a man in the head... I can't imagine. And the instructor's family... no one being charged, just have to deal with it.

Pathetic all around.

 

[CPT Tripss]

To be clear, it's not the lower level that is the issue. The average deer rifle is 4-5 times more powerful than an Uzi. The issue is controlling the recoil under full-auto.


And yes, there was that other incident not that long ago & anyone who owns a range should have been aware of that - as well as the potential for it to happen again

She apparently was firing off hand, no stock.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

21 to drink a beer but 8 to handle a weapon. Priorities are all wrong!

For the record, this was a terrible idea - TERRIBLE. That said, even with a minimum drinking age of 21, we lose WAY more people to alcohol-related deaths than we do to firearms-related deaths. So, not sure I'd run with that comparison.