That was certainly a breach of basic firearm safety.

Why would they giver her an uzi, not stick with a .22 or something? Teaching gun handling and safety is always welcome but it requires proper supervision, which wasn't executed here.

Why anybody under 16 should be anywhere near a gun, let alone an Uzi, is beyond me. Kids (including me) should not be trusted with firearms of any kind, and unfortunately for the girl in this incident, she's probably old enough to now remember this for the rest of her life.

Edited August 29, 201411 yr by BreachBangAndClear

Why anybody under 16 should be anywhere near a gun, let alone an Uzi, is beyond me. Kids (including me) should not be trusted with firearms of any kind, and unfortunately for the girl in this incident, shes probably old enough to now remember this for the rest of her life.

Every single accidental shooting death of a child in a home is because of a combination of 2 things: 1)Primarily, not keeping a loaded gun locked up and 2) treating firearms as a "Don't ask, don't tell" subject.

 

Children are naturally curious, and telling them not to do something will only make them do it. That's why in all the accidental child shooting deaths, they don't realize what they are doing and think they are playing with it until they pull the trigger.

 

It's kind of like sex education. The proper response if firearms are in the house isn't to completely ignore it, but have an honest conversation about it and not letting them try to figure it out all by themselves.

Nothing inherently wrong with a 9-yr old shooting a firearm if supervised properly and instructed properly and safely...even full auto Uzi.  The instructor mishandled his responsibility unfortunately, and didn't take simple safety precautions.  Not the parents fault...not sure why it would be their fault, per previous posts.  It's not illegal nor particularly dangerous if handled properly...not unless you disregard simple safety precautions.

 

He should have (obviously) been on bent knee (head level with the child's), wrapping his right arm around the child and that hand on the pistol grip (on top of the kid trigger hand), and his left hand on the firearms fore-grip, again on top of the child's,  to assist with weapon control in the event it kicks up and to the left in full auto...which it did.

 

I'm confounded as to why the instructor would stand over and to the left of the shooter!  That's the danger zone!!  I've had two full auto Uzi's in my life,  and they are notorious for pulling up and to the left when in full auto mode.  Anybody who has shot one knows this.  An adult can handle a 9mm full auto with ease, but a child can't and isn't ready for the recoil.  He should have known that.  He stood right in the "danger zone" and paid the price.

 

I feel bad for everybody involved.  Was just a tragic accident that could have been avoided.  Prayers to everybody involved in this tragedy.

 

That's my $0.02 worth.

 

DrDetroit

I've had two full auto Uzi's in my life,  and they are notorious for pulling up and to the left when in full auto mode.

Hope you had licenses to own fully auto weapons, wouldn't want the feds to come looking for you.

 

 

I don't see why anyone under the age of about 15 or 16 should be using firearms. Most people I've met are still immature up until the age of 25 but at least by the age of 16 (usually) pretty much every kid understands what happens when you fire a weapon. I am saying this as someone who got their first rifle at the age of 10. I was 10 years old and my grandmother asked my parents if it was ok that she got me a single shot .22 rifle for Christmas which my parents said was fine. Now I have always been more mature than other people my age and always treated my rifle with respect and knew what it was capable of. I spent lots of time shooting it and everything turned out fine because my parents taught me well. However, 12 years later I look back and if I had been in my parents shoes I probably would not have done what they had done even though everything turned out ok. I still own that .22 and I also own a Glock 23 .40 caliber that I graduated the police academy with and I plan on buying a few more weapons so I have no issues with gun ownership or anything else those hardcore right wing NRA members like to accuse me of, I defend your 2nd amendment right but children who are still maturing have no business handling firearms.

 

I have no issue with teaching kids about gun safety and all that good stuff but they don't need to fire one (especially a full auto) in order to be taught those lessons. We teach our kids sex ed but we don't then turn around and say ok now that I have taught you that lets go out and get you laid.

I have no issue with teaching kids about gun safety and all that good stuff but they don't need to fire one (especially a full auto) in order to be taught those lessons. We teach our kids sex ed but we don't then turn around and say ok now that I have taught you that lets go out and get you laid.

Right, but my point was in response to the idea that kids shouldn't know anything about guns. While we don't tell kids to go have sex after they get the talk, we hope that when they are in that situation, they do not do anything stupid because they were taught better.

Why anybody under 16 should be anywhere near a gun, let alone an Uzi, is beyond me. Kids (including me) should not be trusted with firearms of any kind, and unfortunately for the girl in this incident, shes probably old enough to now remember this for the rest of her life.

You'd be surprised. Several States do not have a gun operating age limit, Arizona being one of them, at this range you could be 8 to operate any gun which I find absolutely absurd that any kid should be using any gun at that age, I could understand at 12 for hunting probably, but Uzis is not really for children in general.

I disagree also that a child should never be let near a firearm. The age range I refer to using the word "child" is around the age this girl was, 8-10. In the same breath though, I strongly believe there have to be strict rules and guidelines that are followed if they are. I'm just going to use myself as a example. When I was around the age she is, about 9, I was gifted my first BB gun. I was taught how to use it properly and that was the only gun I was allowed to shoot. I was allowed to handle other unloaded guns like our .22's and shotguns but never handled them loaded or shot them at that age. Once I was older I was moved to the .22 and when I was of hunting age (13) moved on to a 20 Gauge. I've been instructed by my family my entire life as well as formal safety classes. I never enjoyed hunting but I enjoy weapons and shooting them. I guess my point is that with the correct guidance a child age 9-10+ can safely handle a firearm if they are taught to respect it, proper weapon safety, and if they are slowly graduated along the correct calibers (in my opinion). At the age of 9 my father would have never put me behind a full auto weapon for 2 reasons, safety and the fact that I wouldn't have been able to handle it. 

This is just a shame.

What ever happened to the term, "Never play ball in the house"?

You'd be surprised. Several States do not have a gun operating age limit, Arizona being one of them, at this range you could be 8 to operate any gun which I find absolutely absurd that any kid should be using any gun at that age, I could understand at 12 for hunting probably, but Uzis is not really for children in general.

 

Here in Britain it is very hard (as you probably know) to obtain a firearm, no matter your age. I can understand letting a child of 10 shoot a few rounds from a hunting rifle or a small pistol, but in this case its almost laughable. The Uzi is used by some paramilitary forces and it is hardly a weapon for any sort of training or in this case, letting a child fire it.

Here in Britain it is very hard (as you probably know) to obtain a firearm, no matter your age. I can understand letting a child of 10 shoot a few rounds from a hunting rifle or a small pistol, but in this case its almost laughable. The Uzi is used by some paramilitary forces and it is hardly a weapon for any sort of training or in this case, letting a child fire it.

I personally believe that the age limit to shoot any sort of firearm for recreational use, such as hunting should be 12. Even 10 is a little too young for a hunting rifle or pistol, because those guns do have some kick to it which is why this incident happened. She could not control the recoil and it flew straight out her hands. If people are going to take their kids to a shooting range, they should at least let them use a gun they can use or wait until they are somewhat older to use it. Now i'm not a pro gun advocate, but there should be a age limit on children using guns in a majority of states, if not don't let them use a automatic Uzi.

I personally believe that the age limit to shoot any sort of firearm for recreational use, such as hunting should be 12. Even 10 is a little too young for a hunting rifle or pistol, because those guns do have some kick to it which is why this incident happened. She could not control the recoil and it flew straight out her hands. If people are going to take their kids to a shooting range, they should at least let them use a gun they can use or wait until they are somewhat older to use it. Now i'm not a pro gun advocate, but there should be a age limit on children using guns in a majority of states, if not don't let them use a automatic Uzi.

 

12 sounds about right, as you're starting to mature, and if you do happen to shoot someone deliberately, you're criminally liable.