Aa
9 year old child firing Uzi at range kills instructor
Child firing Uzi at Arizona shooting range accidentally kills instructor, police say
(CNN) -- 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.
The instructor, 39-year-old Charles Vacca, died at a hospital late Monday night after he was shot in the head.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office said the girl was with her parents. The website of Bullets and Burgers, the shooting range where the accident happened, says children between the ages of 8 and 17 can shoot a weapon if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Police identified the weapon as an Uzi, an Israeli-made submachine gun.
Cell phone video released by authorities Tuesday shows the moments before the fatal shots were fired, CNN affiliate KLAS reported.
In the video, Vacca and the girl are at an outdoor range. The wind blows a target in the distance. Vacca shows the child how to hold the gun then helps her establish her grip and her stance. She fires one round and dirt flies above the target. Vacca adjusts the Uzi, places his right hand on her back and his left under her right arm.
She fires several rounds in rapid succession and the gun kicks to the left as she loses control. The video ends before the fatal head shot. In releasing the video, authorities did not identify who made it.
KLAS reported the girl was a tourist from the Northeast.
The station spoke with Sam Scarmardo, who operates Bullets and Burgers, about the incident.
"We really don't know what happened," he said. "Our guys are trained to basically hover over people when they're shooting. If they're shooting right-handed, we have our right-hand behind them ready to push the weapon out of the way. And if they're left-handed, the same thing."
Vacca was married, well-liked and a veteran, KLAS said.
The range, which is about an hour's drive from Las Vegas, says on its Facebook page: "We separate ourselves from all other Las Vegas ranges with our unique 'Desert Storm' atmosphere and military style bunkers."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/arizona-girl-fatal-shooting-accident/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- 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.
The instructor, 39-year-old Charles Vacca, died at a hospital late Monday night after he was shot in the head.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office said the girl was with her parents. The website of Bullets and Burgers, the shooting range where the accident happened, says children between the ages of 8 and 17 can shoot a weapon if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Police identified the weapon as an Uzi, an Israeli-made submachine gun.
Cell phone video released by authorities Tuesday shows the moments before the fatal shots were fired, CNN affiliate KLAS reported.
In the video, Vacca and the girl are at an outdoor range. The wind blows a target in the distance. Vacca shows the child how to hold the gun then helps her establish her grip and her stance. She fires one round and dirt flies above the target. Vacca adjusts the Uzi, places his right hand on her back and his left under her right arm.
She fires several rounds in rapid succession and the gun kicks to the left as she loses control. The video ends before the fatal head shot. In releasing the video, authorities did not identify who made it.
KLAS reported the girl was a tourist from the Northeast.
The station spoke with Sam Scarmardo, who operates Bullets and Burgers, about the incident.
"We really don't know what happened," he said. "Our guys are trained to basically hover over people when they're shooting. If they're shooting right-handed, we have our right-hand behind them ready to push the weapon out of the way. And if they're left-handed, the same thing."
Vacca was married, well-liked and a veteran, KLAS said.
The range, which is about an hour's drive from Las Vegas, says on its Facebook page: "We separate ourselves from all other Las Vegas ranges with our unique 'Desert Storm' atmosphere and military style bunkers."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/arizona-girl-fatal-shooting-accident/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Yes, times sure have changed. No innocence anymore. I think its pitiful too, especially now that Im comin up on being one of the older ones. Its scary for sure.
We played war, cowboys and indians, and things like that but we used sticks so really I guess it isn't much different if you consider kids have been shot holding a candy bar.
I remember when "we" were blaming Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper records for suicides.... With the video game thing, a lot of them are very graphic. I do think the majority of kids playing those games, especially if age appropriate, know and understand that its a game and you won't and cannot get away with that behavior in real life. If not, we'd have far more havoc than we do... the video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.
But referring to "back when", times were certainly different. Kids weren't violent, cops didn't have to worry about the things they have to worry about today, people held doors, had manners, helped older people with their groceries.... WE have a long commute. I've seen people in their 70's, broke down and know all kinds of people pass them by before I stop to help. People are afraid to help in a lot of cases because you never know what you're up against. I think that is pitiful....
I remember when "we" were blaming Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper records for suicides.... With the video game thing, a lot of them are very graphic. I do think the majority of kids playing those games, especially if age appropriate, know and understand that its a game and you won't and cannot get away with that behavior in real life. If not, we'd have far more havoc than we do... the video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.
But referring to "back when", times were certainly different. Kids weren't violent, cops didn't have to worry about the things they have to worry about today, people held doors, had manners, helped older people with their groceries.... WE have a long commute. I've seen people in their 70's, broke down and know all kinds of people pass them by before I stop to help. People are afraid to help in a lot of cases because you never know what you're up against. I think that is pitiful....
LOL..... I guess its the age difference. My kids had toy guns to play cowboys and indians. Back then they copied the westerns or g i joe.
Now days, the kids play life like video games with killing fields and blood and gore and the whole nine yards. Now please tell me which is more dangerous?
My point is, back when, kids were seen playing with toy guns all the time and the kids knew it was just fake play, so did the adults.
Now days? A kid playing with a toy gun can get him killed yet, we want to teach them to shoot real ones and that is okay?
My head is spinning.
Now days, the kids play life like video games with killing fields and blood and gore and the whole nine yards. Now please tell me which is more dangerous?
My point is, back when, kids were seen playing with toy guns all the time and the kids knew it was just fake play, so did the adults.
Now days? A kid playing with a toy gun can get him killed yet, we want to teach them to shoot real ones and that is okay?
My head is spinning.
Some guns are made specifically for killing people, not game. These are the ones I'd like to see outlawed.
As far as the country going bonkers? No doubt and the media has done a great deal to help that.
Me being a gun guy? My kids didn't have toy guns. I was raised in a situation where there are no "toy" guns, and the sooner people realized this, we could be a lot further down the road to "innocent people" not being "harassed" or "shot" by the cops for carrying toy guns... thats another story for another day.
Safety protocol failed when they allowed this girl to shoot that gun. I don't know if she had any prior experience with any gun, but never in a million years do you let a kid shoot an uzi.
Me being a gun guy? My kids didn't have toy guns. I was raised in a situation where there are no "toy" guns, and the sooner people realized this, we could be a lot further down the road to "innocent people" not being "harassed" or "shot" by the cops for carrying toy guns... thats another story for another day.
Safety protocol failed when they allowed this girl to shoot that gun. I don't know if she had any prior experience with any gun, but never in a million years do you let a kid shoot an uzi.
When my kids were small, we got them toy guns. That was the only kind of gun they had access to. A kid has to be a certain age to drive, drop out of school, vote, drink, or go to war. They cannot start school till a certain age and do not have the where with all to feed themselves, so this argument of shooting guns for kids is ridiculous to me... We dont live, the majority of us in the wilderness or have the need to hunt for food.
Try giving a kid a toy gun these days and let em play outside and sit back and listen for the sirens. This country has gone gun bonkers.
Are we going to train them to shoot guns so we can start sending them off to fight our wars for us?
Try giving a kid a toy gun these days and let em play outside and sit back and listen for the sirens. This country has gone gun bonkers.
Are we going to train them to shoot guns so we can start sending them off to fight our wars for us?
I understand and appreciate your thoughts but I really don't think all guns are meant to harm people.
Well, I personally do not know nor do I want to know how to use a gun. In my fantasy world we would melt all guns which are only meant to harm people, down and make them into something to help people instead.
For the record, 22 rifles come in a lot of variations which include semi automatic and fully automatic as well as bolt action, breach action, lever action. Even a mere .22 in the right (wrong) hands is an prescription for disaster.
An Uzi in the hands of someone qualified is no more dangerous than your husband and his .22.
(Personally, I think using the criteria of being able to legally drink and or smoke is a bad idea. There are people I know, national and regional champions in fact that as juniors have more gun handling experience than I do. My age has literally nothing to do with my abilities. My experience on the other hand has everything to do with my abilities. That said, there is always an opportunity for something to go wrong... kind of like driving a car. )
An Uzi in the hands of someone qualified is no more dangerous than your husband and his .22.
(Personally, I think using the criteria of being able to legally drink and or smoke is a bad idea. There are people I know, national and regional champions in fact that as juniors have more gun handling experience than I do. My age has literally nothing to do with my abilities. My experience on the other hand has everything to do with my abilities. That said, there is always an opportunity for something to go wrong... kind of like driving a car. )
Yes my husband learned how to be aware and able before he was handing a gun~ but there is one other difference~ he was not handed an automatic or semi-automatic weapon !
He was using a 22 rifle and proudly never shot anything he wasn't sure he could kill with one bullet. Proper training, yes, the right gun, yes.
I'm with teko on this one, they can't drink or smoke they should not be using Uzis~ EVER !
He was using a 22 rifle and proudly never shot anything he wasn't sure he could kill with one bullet. Proper training, yes, the right gun, yes.
I'm with teko on this one, they can't drink or smoke they should not be using Uzis~ EVER !
it began by giving the kid a gun she could not handle... secondly, the instructor must have forgotten everything he ever learned and what it is that he is supposed to have been teaching.
Yeah, and it doesnt look like he will be making those mistakes again....Unfortunately for the child? Her life permanantly changed that day as well. And it was a senseless, needless thing to have happen.
I think kids these days are much more immature than in days gone by. Most think doing household chores are cruel treatment. They stand up and sass mom and dad and are not in general something I think goes hand in hand with handling guns. They cannot drink, smoke but can shoot guns? egads.
Yeah, and it doesnt look like he will be making those mistakes again....Unfortunately for the child? Her life permanantly changed that day as well. And it was a senseless, needless thing to have happen.
I think kids these days are much more immature than in days gone by. Most think doing household chores are cruel treatment. They stand up and sass mom and dad and are not in general something I think goes hand in hand with handling guns. They cannot drink, smoke but can shoot guns? egads.
The only things similar regarding the situation your husband when through and what should have happened with this girl are all of the safety protocol. Obviously there was a breakdown, and it began by giving the kid a gun she could not handle... secondly, the instructor must have forgotten everything he ever learned and what it is that he is supposed to have been teaching.
My husband was handed an empty rifle at the age of 5, whenever he was out with his dad in the woods. If he didn't hold it properly, let it point the wrong way, he was disciplined. He got his own rifle at the age of 9 and was allowed to hunt on his grandfather's farm.
This is not the same as giving any kid an automatic weapon, in any situation !
And I do think that 9 year old may be severely traumatized by seeing the physical destruction of a human body happen right before her eyes. These are the kinds of things that cause PTSD.
Horrific, we don't need UZIS. NOBODY needs and UZI and especially not as a form of recreation !
This is not the same as giving any kid an automatic weapon, in any situation !
And I do think that 9 year old may be severely traumatized by seeing the physical destruction of a human body happen right before her eyes. These are the kinds of things that cause PTSD.
Horrific, we don't need UZIS. NOBODY needs and UZI and especially not as a form of recreation !
It's insane to allow a 9 year old to handle much less shoot an Uzi. Teaching kids to shoot has nothing whatsoever to do with this.
Would you believe that the only lives that really changed might be the lives of the family of the man who got shot?
Sad as it may seem, I'd bet everyone else involved thinks they were absolutely right in what they were doing and they've told that 9 yr old that she did nothing wrong. And sadly, she didn't... A 9 yr old would not want to do this on her own; she'd have been pushed into it by an older family member who told her that she needed to learn how to shoot.
It's okay to teach young members of the family to shoot, but it has to be done according the child's ability.
Sad as it may seem, I'd bet everyone else involved thinks they were absolutely right in what they were doing and they've told that 9 yr old that she did nothing wrong. And sadly, she didn't... A 9 yr old would not want to do this on her own; she'd have been pushed into it by an older family member who told her that she needed to learn how to shoot.
It's okay to teach young members of the family to shoot, but it has to be done according the child's ability.
Believe me. The adults lives changed too....
This makes me physically ill. The adults in this childs life all need shot imo.
How utterly stupid!
How utterly stupid!
Now, I know for certain, the world had gone officially bonkers.
I just don't get it.
Why would anyone even think of allowing a 9 year old to fire an Uzi?
Some people really and truly are gun crazy.
Why would anyone even think of allowing a 9 year old to fire an Uzi?
Some people really and truly are gun crazy.
Talk about dumb policies. That kid never should have been allowed to handle that gun. The kid will be ruined. Unnecessary and avoidable on so many levels.
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
