When "8 Year Old Boy" and "Uzi" The Same Headline, You Know It Ain't Gonna Be Good

[Dan in Pasadena]

See the link for the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/27/boy.shoots.himself.ap/index.html


Look, I am admittedly not a "gun guy". I never have been, I don't ever intend to be though I DO appreciate what amazing machines that guns were and have become. I have no real issue with hunters or collectors though I have no interest in becoming either.

I'm just asking, how could someone EVER think that introducing an 8 year old child to an Uzi could ever be a good thing? Yeah, yeah, "...certified instructor", "...when I was 5, 7, 9...etc" "...tragic accident" - Uh huh....what would you EXPECT to say about it when anything other than the most optimum outcome occurred when an 8 year old child is allowed to handle a weapon like that?

Just like on the other thread about Jennifer Hudson's nephew, I agree this is tragic though I would not entirely agree with it, I WOULD tip toe along the edge of calling it a crime to have allowed the child to handle this thing....And it sure wasnt very damn smart. I'd be intersted to hear the opinions on this.

[RPKESQ]

An incredibly stupid act by some not so bright people. I love firearms, I own firearms and use them frequently, but this was ill-thought out at best. At worst, criminal negligence; Heads should roll.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Do you think there is the slightest chance that heads WILL roll? I don't.

[Oh Haha]

Tragic.

the stupid fucher that let him use it should be charged with negligent homicide or something.

Obviously, many people will be affected by this event for many years.

I'm not a gun guy nor do I believe that people shouldn't have them but , for the love of whatever God you believe in, use some common sense, people!!!!!!!!!

[Aurel]

So, he lost control of the weapon, which flew in the air and shot him. I don`t get it. If the recoil made the weapon fly, the bullet was already gone, right? And if the weapon was out of his hands, how could it be firing? Even on automatic weapons, I thought you still had to be pulling the trigger, right?

Aurel

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Aurel

So, he lost control of the weapon, which flew in the air and shot him. I don`t get it. If the recoil made the weapon fly, the bullet was already gone, right? And if the weapon was out of his hands, how could it be firing? Even on automatic weapons, I thought you still had to be pulling the trigger, right?

Aurel

I don't think it flew out of his hands. I think it just twisted around until it pointed back at him, but I could be wrong. I believe an uzi is small compared to a rifle or m16.

[kimlangley7]

Uzi is a very compact SMG.. has a "telescoping bolt that overrides the barrel > giving it it's compactness...

If the kid was firing the weaon without the stock extended > would be very "loosey-goosey"... weaponwould be jumping all ove rthe place...

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by Aurel

So, he lost control of the weapon, which flew in the air and shot him. I don`t get it. If the recoil made the weapon fly, the bullet was already gone, right? And if the weapon was out of his hands, how could it be firing? Even on automatic weapons, I thought you still had to be pulling the trigger, right?

Aurel

In real life (instead of movies) it is quite difficult to handle a full auto weapon. What happened to this boy, happened to a CA Sheriff a few years ago. He worked in the weapons lab for many years, handling many types of firearms, including full-auto weapons.
He needed to fire a consficated weapon, a Mac 10 IIRC, and placed a fully loaded magazine in the weapon, held it with one hand and fired it into a "shooting pig".

(a device that allows you to fire a weapon in a small space beacause it will catch the bullet in an enclosed container. These often look like a steel barrel with a short pipe of about 4 to 6 inch diameter off of one end. You fire the weapon into the small pipe and the interior design reduces the bullet energy in a short distance to zero. Often used in test labs and gunsmith facilities, a bullet trap)

Well he did not check to see if the weapons was set for single shot or full auto. It was set on full auto. He pulled the trigger, the first shot went in the pipe on the bullet trap, the second shot into the wall above the trap the thrid shot into his forehead. This happens very fast. Much faster than most peole have any idea of. Recoil is what makes the weapon start pointing up. Someone not strong enough or not prepared will be overpowered in the blink of an eye. He would not have intendtionally have done this, he just became careless with firearm saftey. He paid the price for that.

Two mistakes, not checking the selector switch setting and testing an unknown weapon with a full magazine. Firearms are dangerous machines, they will bite you if you don't follow the rules.

[BGCarrera32]

Yup...its amazing even what you see at the pistol range and the lack of muzzle control...I had a 20 something year old gal yacking at her boyfriend once and the muzzle of her .22 was innocently aimed right at my wife's head in the stall next to her. I don't care if there's 2" thick plexi between lanes- she and her boyfriend were given a very stern warning by yours truly- follow the rules or get out.

[Oh Haha]

Which begs the question:

Who was with the boy when he was handling this weapon and why wasn't it under control?

Accidents happen, I understand that but who was the mental genius that thoughtit was a great idea to let the boy shoot an Uzi without assistance. dumb!@# !!!

[legion]

It looks like this was a "Machine Gun Shoot" at the local range.

There are two parties to blame here: the owner of the Uzi (presumably the range) that allowed it to be shot by an 8-year-old, and the parent that was with the 8-year-old. Both failed the boy allowing him to attempt to use a fully-automatic gun. Only the most mature and disciplined 8-year-olds should be firing anything other than a single shot .22.

The micro Uzi is tough to control by full-sized adults, and I can't imagine trying to fire one without the stock extended. There is simply no excuse for it being placed in the hands of an 8-year-old.

I'm a life member of the NRA, and I see negligence abound here. But this situation is no different than letting an 8-year-old go off alone on an ATV only to roll it and be crushed to death. The gun or ATV is simply a tool that aided in the general stupidity.

[HardDrive]

NRA member here. Disgusted at the negligence. What right thinking person lets an 8 year old child touch an Uzi?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Thanks for giving the Bradly lunatics more ammo jerks!

[azasadny]

Stupid people like this get kids killed and set the anti-gun folks off every time!

[Jeff Higgins]

The rules of gun safety are inviolable. There is a reason for that. When they get broken, people die. It sounds like a veritable laundry list of basic gun safety rules were broken. It's really too bad that the young man paid with his life, that there are no "do overs" in this game.

About a decade ago, the guy who sat right next to me at work watched some one die at Wade's Gun Shop in Bellevue. Same basic scenario, in that a young woman was handed an M29 Smith, with no inkling of what the full house .44 mag was like to fire. First round went down range, second one went off as she squeezed her whole hand, trigger finger included, trying to hold onto it. It went into the ceiling. Third one centered a guy's forehead; he was standing right over her right shoulder.

In this case, maybe justice was served. He was the nit wit that gave it to her. While I hate to think of anyone getting hurt or killed, at least in this case the most deserving soul took the hit.

[Rick Lee]

I read in another article that this event was being sponsored by the police and the kid was allegedly being "supervised" by a police firearms instructor. WTF? How in the world does an adult think it's ok to let a kid shoot an SMG who has no experience with such? When I shot a full auto Mac 10, I had the folding stock extended and had to pull down on the strap to keep it stable and I was about 34 then and not a small guy.

[ChkbookMechanic]

I personally don't have a need for a firearm, but I have friends with them and see nothing wrong with owning them as long as you understand the consequences of owning own. But every time I read something like this or meet some of the less intelligent gun owners I seriously wonder if we need a harder test or force the test to be taken each year to be allowed to buy, use or get licensed for carrying firearms.

[Tobra]

saw that

title was enough for me

[imcarthur]

I know I'm going to regret this but . . .

Your 2nd(?) ammendment makes it legal but what makes it right?

It's an Uzi? Why? Why can it even be put into the hands of an untrained civilian? Why?

All of your 'right to bear arms' will mean crap at that boy's funeral.

Ian

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

I know I'm going to regret this but . . .

Your 2nd(?) ammendment makes it legal but what makes it right?

It's an Uzi? Why? Why can it even be put into the hands of an untrained civilian? Why?

All of your 'right to bear arms' will mean crap at that boy's funeral.

Ian

I think even the police in Canada are allowed to have machine guns and hold open houses for civilians and/or let civilians handle machine guns with supervision, no? This has nothing whatsoever to do with any law and everything to do with piss poor judgment and adult supervision.

[Sonic dB]

Parent should be charged with neglegent homicide or manslaughter. He was standing behind the kid "reaching for his camera"

what a dumb fk.