Firearms. Yea or Nay?

[lizbud]

Boy, 8, fatally shoots self in head while trying out Uzi submachine gun at Mass. gun club show
By Associated Press

11:15 AM CDT, October 27, 2008
WESTFIELD, Mass. (AP) _ An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.

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 Lt. Lawrence Vallierpratte said.

The boy, Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn., was with a certified instructor and "was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury," a police statement said.

Christopher died at Baystate Medical Center.


Police said the boy's father, Charles Bizilj, attended the event with his son. The father is the medical director of emergency medicine at Johnson Memorial Hospital, in Stafford Springs, Conn.

Although police called it a "self-inflicted accidental shooting," police and the Hampden district attorney's office were investigating, officials said.

"We are going to review all the circumstance regarding what happened, who was involved, what authorities they may or may not have had, who was supervising," District Attorney William Bennett said Monday.

It is legal for children to fire a weapon if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian and are supervised by a properly certified and licensed instructor, Lt. Hipolito Nunez said.

Those conditions were met in this case, he said. He declined to release the supervisor's name.

The event, run in conjunction with C.O.P Firearms and Training, said in an ad that people are allowed to fire weapons at vehicles, pumpkins and other targets at the event.

The club said it would offer 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.

Officials with the private club and the firearms group could not be reached for comment. Messages left on answering machines for the club and the C.O.P. group were not returned Monday.

The sportsman's club was founded in 1949 and describes itself on its Web site as promoting "the interest of legal sport with rod, gun, and bow and arrow, both directly and through training."

It has eight firing ranges as well as archery and fishing facilities located on 375 acres in Westfield, about 100 miles west of Boston.

___

On the Web:

Westfield Club: http://www.westfieldsportsman.com

[sparks19]

An unfortunate accident.

But not enough reason for me to take the ability to hunt and defend your family away from everyone

Sorry

funny though how no one ever posts stories about when producing a gun has saved someone... and despite what you think it happens A LOT

[beeniesmom]

Oh my goodness. Poor child and family.

[Edwina's Secretary]

So far this weekend we have another shooting on a college campus -- two dead one wounded -- this domestic shooting of a woman, her son and grandson...and this poor boy shot accidently while under adult supervision at a gun show. I also see in this thread the admission from a gun enthusiast that she practices gun safety "90% of the time."

Sparky you say it happens alot that people are saved by someone "producing a gun." Could you give us a couple of examples?

Weren't you concerned about a bank robbery with a shooting last week? Was anyone saved there by "producing a gun?"

[Lady's Human]

Try FBI crime stats, John Lott, ad nauseum.

ES, this has been brought up before, you never choose to believe the stats, why even bother posting?

[Edwina's Secretary]

Perhaps for the same reason you need to attack me every time I do post?

Would those be the same stats you promised about the economic makeup of the military but never delivered?

[Lady's Human]

Attack?

No, Sara, I haven't attacked you.

I can flame, as well as anyone, but I haven't done it here, as I respect most of the posters on the website, and if I had the Mod would hammer me quicker than anyone on the board.

The Lott and FBI crime stats have been discussed and posted before, and you choose not to believe them, as you do with any stats that don't conform to your view of the world, regardless of the source.

The military stats were an issue we were discussing in PM a couple of weeks ago, frankly, I forgot about it. Try Army Times, they normally do an annual survey and publish it.

[RICHARD]

How many people die in B&A accidents? Drown while fishing?

The accident was unfortunate-why was an 8 year old allowed to shoot a
SMG anyway?

I started with small caliber, long rifles, probably would or could have shot myself in the foot-but letting a child shoot something that uncontrolable is the fault of the father.

I hope the laws change to allow children to learn gun safety, but with smaller caliber, long guns, not the 'cool guns' they see used on TV or in the media.

[sparks19]

So far this weekend we have another shooting on a college campus -- two dead one wounded -- this domestic shooting of a woman, her son and grandson...and this poor boy shot accidently while under adult supervision at a gun show. I also see in this thread the admission from a gun enthusiast that she practices gun safety "90% of the time."

Sparky you say it happens alot that people are saved by someone "producing a gun." Could you give us a couple of examples?

Weren't you concerned about a bank robbery with a shooting last week? Was anyone saved there by "producing a gun?"

I was mostly worried about the high speed CHASE lol... and thanked GOD my husband wasn't on the road during that time. The robbers did not kill anyone (although they very well could have with the high speed chase)... the "shooting" you speak of were the State Troopers taking out one of the robbers that pointed a gun at them... so yeah I guess you could say the troopers lives were saved by producing their guns and taking that b@stard out.

Luckily our Governor just passed down harsher punishments for criminals who commit violent gun crimes... LIFE... NO parole... possibly death pentaly. About time someone started blaming the CRIMINALS instead of the law abiding citizens that are just trying to protect themselves

I can think of examples in my own life where people I know have saved themselves by producing a weapon.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=38726

http://www.sptimes.com/News/081501/T...ullets_h.shtml

http://www.sptimes.com/News/080901/T...r_shot_d.shtml

I'm also trying to find a good NEWS link that does take you to a bunch of other links to read the story... I do have a link for a first hand account from the family but I'm sure that own't mean much to you....

here it is anyway...
http://www.savedbyagun.com/our_story.html

this family had been stalked for years by this man and he went on a rampage and the police suspected he MIGHT be coming and notified the family but no other help was offered. Sure enough the stalker came to their home with a bullet proof vest on to "settle his score". the husband had prepared for the worst and had his weapon just in case. Their stalker came in shooting and and the husband shot back and wounded him which then made the stalker run away... he was later captured a couple miles away and taken to jail.

Now... I know what you are going to say "If it weren't for guns none of these would have happened" but that's not entirely true... if it weren't for CRIMINALS none of these stories would have happened.

As a law abiding citizen I will not have the right to protect my daughter taken away because of CRIMINALS or stupid people. YOu don't have to like it but you sure aren't going to change my mind about it.