hogwild63 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Boy, 8, shoots himself to death at Mass. gun show Published - Oct 27 2008 08:24PM CDT | AP By SUSAN HAIGH - Associated Press Writer With an instructor watching, an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair aimed an Uzi at a pumpkin and pulled the trigger as his dad reached for a camera. It was his first time shooting a fully automatic machine gun, and the recoil of the weapon was too much for him. He lost control and fatally shooting himself in the head. Now gun safety experts _ and some gun enthusiasts at the club where the shooting happened _ are wondering why such a young child was allowed to fire a weapon used in war. Local, state and federal authorities are also investigating whether everyone involved had proper licenses or if anyone committed a criminal act. "It's easy to lose control of a weapon like that ... they are used on a battleground for a very good reason," said Jerry Belair, a spokesman for Stop Handgun Violence, based in Newton, Mass. "It's to shoot as many times as you possibly can without having to reload at an enemy that's approaching. It's not a toy. It's not something to play with." Police said Christopher Bizilj (Bah-SEAL) of Ashford, Conn., was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., on Sunday afternoon, shortly after firing a 9mm micro Uzi submachine gun at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, co-sponsored by C.O.P. Firearms & Training. "The weapon was loaded and ready to fire," Westfield police Lt. Hipolito Nunez said. "The 8-year-old victim had the Uzi and as he was firing the weapon, the front end of the weapon went up with the backfire and he ended up receiving a round in his head." Nunez said the investigation is continuing. Christopher, a third-grader, was attending the show with his father and sixth-grade brother, Colin. Christopher had fired handguns and rifles before, but Sunday was his first time firing an automatic weapon, said his father, Charles Bizilj. Bizilj told the Boston Globe he was about 10 feet behind his son and reaching for his camera when the weapon fired. He said his family avoided the larger weapons, but he let his son try the Uzi because it's a small weapon with little recoil. "This accident was truly a mystery to me," said Bizilj, director of emergency medicine at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Conn. "This is a horrible event, a horrible travesty, and I really don't know why it happened." Police are calling the shooting an accident but are investigating whether everyone connected with the incident had proper weapons permits. Massachusetts requires licenses to own firearms, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issues different licenses to possess machine guns. The machine gun shoot drew hundreds of people from as far away as Maine and Virginia. An advertisement said it would include machine gun demonstrations and rentals and free handgun lessons. "It's all legal & fun _ No permits or licenses required!!!!" reads the ad, posted on the club's Web site. "You will be accompanied to the firing line with a Certified Instructor to guide you. But You Are In Control _ "FULL AUTO ROCK & ROLL," the ad said. The ad also said children under 16 would be admitted free, and both adults and children were offered free .22-caliber pistol and rifle shooting. Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. It is legal in Massachusetts for children to fire a weapon if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian and they are supervised by a properly certified and licensed instructor, Nunez said. The name of the instructor who was with the boy at the time was not released. "We do not know at this time the full facts of this incident," Nunez said Monday. ___ Associated Press Writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Ashford, Conn., and Denise Lavoie in Boston contributed to this report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganHunter Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Man.....that really sucks, I first wish this hadn't happened but second that no one involved were doing anything illegal. My prayers go out to that dad, I hope he can some how find the strength to deal with this tragedy, though i couldn't blame him if he cant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 that is sad........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrswtnhunt Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 How awful. Just so sad but also very avoidable. I can't imagine how the father feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Wow, any childs loss of life is sad...That father...what he is feeling now. Jeez...Prayers out to that family. What a tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Its all over the news. Horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 i see common sense was put on the shelf. hard to believe an instructor and his dad didn't figure out that the barrel would rise. for all those who've never shot on auto, you keep your off arm on top of the gun, not holding the stock underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Very Sad that a child has lost thier life through the stupidity of the surrounding adults:mad: Steve has it right: i see common sense was put on the shelf. hard to believe an instructor and his dad didn't figure out that the barrel would rise. for all those who've never shot on auto, you keep your off arm on top of the gun, not holding the stock underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOYTnMUZZYboy Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Wow. Prayers to the family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 What a sad story. A kid that age needs a parent in position to take immediate control. This happening as it did in my opinion is inexcusable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illinois59 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Incredible. If i saw it in a movie i would say it couldn't happen. No one would let a child that young handle an automatic weapon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 From the account, it sounds like a case of parent and/or instructor negligence. The Micro Uzi has a folding stock. I assume it either wasn't deployed or the kid didn't have it on his shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetucker Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Man i don't know what to say!!My eyes are so watered right now i can hardly type!!I feel for this family as it was someone i know!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookieee Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 very sad ,there's no excuse for such a tragedy to happen a child that small shall never handle a weapon like and Uzi:mad: my prayers go out to the family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mark_85 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 wow what a tradergy. prayers sent out for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogwild63 Posted October 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 I remember another story here in Texas about a year or two ago where some friends were out shooting the guns on private land and they allowed a young boy, probably about the same age, shoot a .45 caliber pistol or revolver. Also, in this case, there were other men watching the boy while the Dad was doing something else. The boy shot the gun and the recoil was too much. The gun came back, stuck him in the forehead and killed him instantly. When my 13 year old son is shooting ANY gun, even the .243 he has shoot since he was 8 years old, the only one, except my dad and my father-in-law (who was an NRA instructor), that is going to oversee my son when he is shooting is me. Even though he has years of experince shooting and has his hunters education completed, he is not going to hunt alone with a high-powered rifle until he is 17. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckslayer Posted October 29, 2008 Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 What a sad story. A kid that age needs a parent in position to take immediate control. This happening as it did in my opinion is inexcusable. I couldn't agree more. I agree it is tragic and my thoughts go out to the family, but this insn't an accident. Its negligence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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