Mass. boy dies after accidentally shooting himself

[TJ Phaserman 2]

WESTFIELD, Mass. – An 8-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision in western Massachusetts.

 

Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere says the boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club. Police say the force of the weapon made it "travel up and back" to the boy's head.

 

The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.

 

His name was not immediately released.

 

Law enforcement officials say although the incident appears to be an accident, police and the Hampden District Attorney's office are investigating.

 

Efforts to reach officials with the private club were not immediately successful.

 

and they say guns don't kill people....

[Kor37 9]

WESTFIELD, Mass. – An 8-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision in western Massachusetts.

 

Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere says the boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club. Police say the force of the weapon made it "travel up and back" to the boy's head.

 

The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.

 

His name was not immediately released.

 

Law enforcement officials say although the incident appears to be an accident, police and the Hampden District Attorney's office are investigating.

 

Efforts to reach officials with the private club were not immediately successful.

 

and they say guns don't kill people....

 

Your comment is absurd. Guns DON"T kill people. In this case, a child died because some idiot adult(?) allowed an 8 year old boy to fire a machine gun! Why does an 8 year old child need to know how to fire an Uzi? Was he a terrorist in training or something? What kind of parent would allow his 8 year old child to fire a machine gun? The organization behind this "Expo" should be sued into bankruptcy for even allowing children to get close to weapons like this.

Edited October 27, 2008 by Kor37

[Ian Wood 1]

WESTFIELD, Mass. – An 8-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision in western Massachusetts.

 

Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere says the boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club. Police say the force of the weapon made it "travel up and back" to the boy's head.

 

The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.

 

His name was not immediately released.

 

Law enforcement officials say although the incident appears to be an accident, police and the Hampden District Attorney's office are investigating.

 

Efforts to reach officials with the private club were not immediately successful.

 

and they say guns don't kill people....

 

Your comment is absurd. Guns DON"T kill people. In this case, a child died because some idiot adult(?) allowed an 8 year old boy to fire a machine gun! Why does an 8 year old child need to know how to fire an Uzi? Was he a terrorist in training or something? What kind of parent would allow his 8 year old child to fire a machine gun? The organization behind this "Expo" should be sued into bankruptcy for even allowing children to get close to weapons like this.

 

 

I agree Kor37, I've been to quite a few gun shows before, and I've never seen one let an 8 year old shoot a firearm, that's pretty fishy... And an Uzi at that, the only gun I had at that age was a nerf gun...

[TJ Phaserman 2]

i only say what i said because im sick and tired of people claiming guns don't kill people, it's people that kill people. while i agree with kor on this...what was the adult thinking....let alone the people running the event.

[MrPsychic 1]

i only say what i said because im sick and tired of people claiming guns don't kill people, it's people that kill people. while i agree with kor on this...what was the adult thinking....let alone the people running the event.

TJ, a gun itself can be considered a tool, like a hatchet, ax or even a screwdriver. It's the stupidity of some people that kills with the tools. Besides, an Uzi isn't a common weapon found on the streets of the US.

[oldfan1 0]

I started shooting handguns, rifles and shotguns when I was 7 years old. As a child it was always under proper adult supervision. I was taught by my step-father who was an ex Airborne ranger and Baltimore County police officer and by his friend a police firearms instructor and gunsmith. They would NEVER have let me shoot something like an Uzi, that is beyond irresponsible, it is criminal. The parents of the child and the people running that demo should be prosecuted if the laws in Massachusetts allow it. It is irresponsible idiots like them that cause law abiding gun owners to have such a bad reputation. I have never used a gun for amusement but as a tool for hunting, self protection and target shooting as they were designed to be used. A fully automatic weapon is not designed to be used by a child.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

i only say what i said because im sick and tired of people claiming guns don't kill people, it's people that kill people. while i agree with kor on this...what was the adult thinking....let alone the people running the event.

TJ, a gun itself can be considered a tool, like a hatchet, ax or even a screwdriver. It's the stupidity of some people that kills with the tools. Besides, an Uzi isn't a common weapon found on the streets of the US.

 

that was pretty much the point i was making....

 

because you get people using the phrase "guns don't kill people, people kill people." which is the biggest excuse anyone can make when it comes to gun safety....

Edited October 27, 2008 by Troy

[MrPsychic 1]

i only say what i said because im sick and tired of people claiming guns don't kill people, it's people that kill people. while i agree with kor on this...what was the adult thinking....let alone the people running the event.

TJ, a gun itself can be considered a tool, like a hatchet, ax or even a screwdriver. It's the stupidity of some people that kills with the tools. Besides, an Uzi isn't a common weapon found on the streets of the US.

 

that was pretty much the point i was making....

 

because you get people using the phrase "guns don't kill people, people kill people." which is the biggest excuse anyone can make when it comes to gun safety....

What you're saying doesn't make sense. Before, you were saying that guns kill people, now you're back pedaling to cover your tracks. Which is it, the gun or the people?

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I too was raised with guns and going to gun shows. My grandfather was one of the co-founders of the Berwen Gun Club. I was probably 7 or 8 the first time I fired a gun too. 10 to 12 when I got my first BB/Pellet gun.

 

Guns are the tools that people use to kill people, as has been said. A hammer is a tool that's used to kill people too, knives, nail guns... all kinds of tools are used to kill.

 

This case was a tragic accident. Rather than venting anger at guns though I'll think about the parents that have tragically lost their little boy to a horrible and preventable accident with a legal firearm in a legal venue.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

i only say what i said because im sick and tired of people claiming guns don't kill people, it's people that kill people. while i agree with kor on this...what was the adult thinking....let alone the people running the event.

TJ, a gun itself can be considered a tool, like a hatchet, ax or even a screwdriver. It's the stupidity of some people that kills with the tools. Besides, an Uzi isn't a common weapon found on the streets of the US.

 

that was pretty much the point i was making....

 

because you get people using the phrase "guns don't kill people, people kill people." which is the biggest excuse anyone can make when it comes to gun safety....

What you're saying doesn't make sense. Before, you were saying that guns kill people, now you're back pedaling to cover your tracks. Which is it, the gun or the people?

 

what im saying is usually when there is a shooting and people want to blame the gun shop owner or the company the gun is made, they always use the excuse "guns don't kill people, people kill people." now while this is true, it's also hypercritical in a sense when the person holding the gun killed another person while in turn, you made the comment a gun is like a ordinary tool...if people are going to use it in a stupid way, like shoot another person for no reason, or shoot his head clean off, then yes. guns do kill people as much as people kill people.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I agree that the adult who took this kid to the expo should be prosecuted.

 

As for guns don't kill people - yes they don't do it without a human hand on the trigger - but anyone that thinks "that as a tool guns are no different than knives, poison etc" are deluding themselves. Guns allow assailants to lie in wait and shoot someone from several feet away without ever being detected. Guns allow the weakest to take down the strongest. Guns like Uzis allow mass killings. Weapsons that require direct contact put the assailant at risk from his victim unless the victim is smaller and weaker; this danger provides some deterrent except to those consumed by rage or drugs. Guns are as different from knives as oxycodin (?) is from aspirin and as drugs are regulated according to the danger they present so should guns be. Not saying banning them - saying making sure they don't get into the wrong hands. Which has nothing to do with this story - except that some people shouldn't be allowed to have children but you can't regulate that.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

I am pro-gun ownership, even though I don't own one myself, but to say that "Guns don't people, people kill people" implies that everyone who killed with a gun would have killed even if a gun wasn't available.

[ddillard 2]

I agree that the focus here should be on the tragedy to the family on the loss of their son. I myself have been firing guns pretty much as long as I can remember but it was always with proper adult supervision.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I don't agree that the adult should be prosecuted, unless there is a law that makes it illegal for that child to be there firing that weapon. Accidents happen, this was a tragic accident. I don't even know that you could call it a negligent accident, though that could be argued and I wouldn't argue the point either way.

 

This wasn't done with the knowledge (I assume) that the weapon would kick back and shoot the child in the head. If it can be proven that the adult knew that it would happen and allowed the child to fire it anyway then a prosecution would be proper. But from what I see it's just a tragic accident.

 

I agree that children should not be firing weapons that are too much for them to safely handle unless an adult is assisting them by helping control the weapon, but I do not agree with anyone that would say that children shouldn't be at the gun show or would say that children should not be allowed to operate a firearm under supervision.

 

That said, I don't want this thread to turn into a Kronos thread where social or political issues are argued. If anyone wishes to argue the points then I certainly invite you to do so over in the new Kronos (there's a link on the portal).

[MrPsychic 1]

The Uzi is an Israeli developed submachine gun, designed for urban combat and firing an ultra common 9 mm round. I wonder if this gun show violated the US Congressional passed bill called the "Anti Assault Rifle" bill, since it's not technically an assault rifle? Then again, this same bill also made it illegal for citizens to legally own sniper rifles, like the huge Barrett M82A1 50 cal sniper rifle.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

It is hard to discuss this issue without our personal feelings about firearms becoming part of the discussion. Perhaps this topic should have been in Kronos to begin with.