Father says boy who shot self at Westfield Sportsman's Club had permission to use machine gun

[geckosfeet]

Personally I think handing the uzi to this kid was a tragic error, and I am not at all sure that the proposed legislation would be effective in preventing these kinds of things from happening. I do think that the club was negligent in training and assessing the potential for a range accident.

"It was a tragedy not through the negligence of the instructors or the club. Everything was done under the supervision of licensed instructors."

Asked about allowing youngsters to fire machine guns, Humason said, "If we don't teach kids how to use dangerous things they will find them and use them the wrong way. No amount of legislation will stop accidents from happening."

"No amount of legislation will stop accidents from happening."
No. But it might encourage adults to be more careful when putting uzis into the hands of eight year olds.

All guns when fired will recoil, or jerk slightly backwards and up, he said. The shooter needs to lower the gun and re-aim after each shot.

With a fully automatic Uzi firing up to 600 rounds a minute, the gun will recoil with each round fired, he said.

"With this continuous recoil, it will go back and up, back and up, back and up, back and up," he said.

If the person shooting the weapon is not prepared or does not have the physical strength to control the weapon, the combined recoil can cause the weapon to jerk backward violently, he said.

Instruction and assessment could/should have been made prior to handing the boy the gun. Also, isn't it possible to devise some kind of harness or stand to keep the gun muzzle pointed downrange?

The sportsman's club is a private, nonprofit organization incorporated in 1949 that has 375 acres with facilities that include eight firing ranges, as well as facilities for archery and fishing. As of July, it had nearly 1,200 members.

State Rep. Michael Costello, the Newburyport Democrat who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said Monday that he plans to draft a bill that would ban anyone younger than age 21 from firing an automatic weapon.

"This isn't a knee-jerk reaction; it's a common sense reaction," he said. "We should take swift action to provide some reasonable restrictions on this type of unreasonable practice. It's almost indescribable that within a year of leaving a booster seat, an 8-year-old can be holding a submachine gun."

Can you legislate common sense? Should a rage officer have spotted the potential for disaster? Would tighter supervision and instruction have prevented the accident? If eight year olds are going to be allowed to use firearms that have a high potential for recoiling out of control, supervision and instruction must be mandatory.

Hmm. If you are not from MA you might not notice that Newburyport rep's district (affluent urban) is way on the other side of the state from the gun club district. Appears that the state reps from the gun club district (rural less affluent) are less motivated to draft a bill.

[notadmblnd]

1. At the sportsmens club in our area you can't take firearms training

before the age of 12. And then it isn't automatic weapons.

[Chemisse]

2. You can't legislate against every single stupid thing somebody might think of doing

That's why there are crimes such as 'negligent homicide' that cover a wide array of actions that are just plain stupid or careless.

If you want your child to be familiar with weapons, you don't start by handing him a machine gun. That is common sense.

[xultar]

5. Is that your puppy? He's soo handsome. He's a Mastiff right? I love them.

[Chemisse]

25. It's a she - and she is an English Mastiff

My husband and I adore her.

[geckosfeet]

10. I would agree. But a well established and respected club managed

to let safety slide to this tragic level.

[Happyhippychick]

3. "If we don't teach kids how to use dangerous things they will find them and use themthe wrong way. "

I'll remember that the next time my daughter finds a machine gun.

[eqfan592]

24. You make fun, but there is actually some statistical evidence behind that statement.

I don't have it on hand now, but I do remember seeing a study that showed children who lived in a house where firearms were kept AND were aware of them, as well as taught safe handling were significantly less likely to be involved in a firearm accident than children who lived in a home where a firearm was kept, but the parents attempted to simply hide the fact from the children.

I'm at work right now, but if nobody else is able to find the study I am talking about, I'll try and dig up the numbers when I get home.

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. Why not get the little whippersnappers some hand grenades?

This story is so unbelievably tragic. The idiots that run around with these types of weapons are bad enough, but to give them to an eight year old child is irresponsible in the extreme.

[geckosfeet]

11. Agreed. The range safety protocols in place simply fell flat on their face

[PavePusher]

30. Umm, you do know that no-one is "running around with these types of weapons", right? n/t

[pipoman]

6. There are relatively few here on DU who are more pro-2nd

than I am...The tragedy is so overwhelming and the story so negligent on so many levels it is almost unbelievable. I began shooting at a very young age as did both of my sons (6 years), but not fully automatic 9mm pistols. Anyone who knows anything at all about machine guns knows that they are difficult for an inexperienced adult to handle. Stupid can never be legislated away.

[geckosfeet]

12. I agree. But again, a well respected and established club. There was probably a major

breakdown in range safety protocol.

[cherish44]

7. Letting that child fire an uzi was tragically idiotic

The kid probably weighed what? 50-60 pounds? How fucking stupid are those people? The owners and the parents should be charged with negligent homocide. Poor kid.

[Coventina]

8. Any court/jury that awards this monster $$ for killing his son

doesn't know the meaning of "justice".

:mad:

[DonP]

9. The father signed a release IIRC

I'd have to check back - but as I remember, the gun was owned legally (Class III) by the local chief of police and was being used at a fundraiser at a local gun club.

The child's father had to read and sign a release waiver and be present when the minor was firing, under the supervision of the gun's owner, the Chief of Police.

There was plenty of bad judgement to go around. First and foremost, the father for thinking it would be cute and/or cool to get a picture of his little boy firing a fairly low powered machine gun. The Chief, who should know the weapon and realize that a boy that age and size could not control the muzzle rise of even a 9 mm on full auto. Hell, even Great America has signs that say "You must be this tall" etc.

For the father to try to evade any responsibility and sue the organizations is, IMHO disgusting.

[geckosfeet]

13. Of course the parent was ultimately responsible. I do think however, to promote

this kind of event as safe and fun without taking the proper steps to ensure that it is safe and fun is also negligent. When you have this kind of event, you know you will get people off the street who may have never handled a gun before, much less a fully automatic one.

Besides, requiring someone to sign away their rights does not relieve the sponsors of the event of their responsibility. In return for agreeing to not hold them liable, the sponsors should at least ensure a safe range experience.

[Bonobo]

14. The local chief of police you are talking about...

A bigger goof-off idiot could not be found. 5 years earlier, during a "gun safety class" in a govt. building, the idiot discharged a rifle round through the wall.


http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/pelhams_police_chief_who_ran_w.html

Here is a picture of the idiot involved. Also if you follow the link, you will see the other idiots, including the 15 year old "trainer".



http://owensboss.blogspot.com/
SPRINGFIELD - The Micro Uzi machine gun that killed 8-year-old Christopher K. Bizilj at a Westfield gun fair last October reportedly jammed twice and was inspected by a 15-year-old boy before it slipped from Christopher's grasp and discharged, according to a $4 million wrongful death lawsuit filed Monday.

Christopher was shot through the head at the "Great New England Pumpkin Shoot" last year, an event the suit alleges was advertised as "an opportunity to shoot machine guns and automatic weapons, without the requirement of permits or licenses to do so" It was sponsored by COP Firearms & Training, owned by Edward Fleury, who resigned as Pelham police chief in March, and the Westfield Sportsman's Club.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court by attorney Vincent A. Bongiorni, of Springfield, on behalf of Christopher's parents, Suzanne M. and Charles D. Bizilj, and his 11-year-old brother, Colin, of Ashford, Conn. The suit alleges negligence in maintenance and training, wrongful death and the infliction of emotional stress against seven defendants: the Westfield Sportsman's Club Inc.; COP Firearms & Training of Amherst; Fleury, of Amherst; Provost Precision Pistols LLC, of Weatogue, Conn.; Carl Giuffre of West Hartford, Conn.; D&T Arms LLC, of New Milford, Conn.; and Domenico J. Spano, of Milford, Conn.

Fleury, Spano and Carl Giuffre face additional criminal charges in Hampden Superior Court. Each has pleaded innocent to charges of involuntary manslaughter and furnishing a machine gun to a minor in connection with the shooting. Their trial had been set for Dec. 8, but was postponed last week.

According to the 32-page lawsuit, on Oct. 28, 2008, Charles Bizilj purchased the opportunity for his son, Christopher, to fire a Micro Uzi 9 mm that was owned by Giuffre and brought to the exposition by Spano. Giuffre and Spano were reportedly designated as "renters" at the expo, hired and solicited by Fleury to provide the weapons used by patrons.

When Christopher reportedly stepped to the line to fire the weapon, the suit alleges that Spano's son, 15-year-old Michael Spano, was the line officer charged with loading the weapon, handing it to the participant and providing instructions on its use. While Christopher was firing, Charles Bizilj was reportedly ordered to stay clear of the area and was required to stand behind restraining ropes.

On the first and second firing attempt, the suit alleges the weapon jammed and that Spano retrieved it, cleared what he believed was a jammed round of ammunition, and handed it back to Christopher. On the third try, when the boy attempted to raise the weapon to his shoulder, the stock slid down his shoulder, causing the barrel to spin upward and discharge as Christopher tried to prevent it from falling, according to the suit.

Shortly after the incident, Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett initiated a probe into the boy's death aimed at determining whether it was illegal or reckless for children to possess or fire a machine gun. State law prohibits furnishing a machine gun to any person under the age of 18.

But others have asserted that the state's gun laws are so poorly written that even experts have trouble deciphering them.

[Vinnie From Indy]

17. WOW!

I believe that everyone at the gun fair suffered a serious case of mass stupidity.

[Bonobo]

18. What in particular?

To me, it is all stupidity.

"A flier for the event said it would feature "machine gun demos and rentals, line position rentals, gun rentals, free handgun lessons, gun swaps and sales and ammunition tent." It listed a general admission of $5 but said children under 16 could come for free.

"It's all legal and fun - no permits or licenses required!" the flier reads. "You will be accompanied to the firing line with a certified instructor to guide you, but you are in control - full auto rock & roll. Targets include: vehicles, pumpkins, and other fun stuff we can't print here!"

C.O.P.'s Web site - www.copfirearms.com - lists shooting events, gun classes, gun auctions and sales, and material from the National Rifle Association opposing Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for president. The Web site features a photograph of a squirrel wearing a beret and firing an automatic weapon, as well as videos of past gun shows.

"C.O.P. Firearms is looking for ranges in New England to hold our machine gun shoots," the Web site says. "It is a good opportunity to liven up the shooters in your area, add membership to your organization, or a good fundraiser.""

[Vinnie From Indy]

16. I also have serious doubts about this police chief

While I am not a reflexive cop basher by any stretch, this cop seems to be afflicted with a common disease among law enforcement - Big Boys with Big Toys. He was so in love with the fact that he had an UZI and even more in love with the fact that he could show his toy to people at the gun range "show & tell" session that he completely disregarded the basic safety of all present by allowing an 8 year old to fire the weapon. I hope the tragedy will be a mjor life changing event for this police chief, but odds are he will simply rationalize the death away to forces beyond his control and go on being a dangerous jackass.

[Euromutt]

26. But were the terms of the release met?

If any minor was supposed to be firing the weapon only under supervision of the weapon's owner, but the weapon's owner allowed the weapon to be handled and fired by a minor in his absence, then something happened to which the boy's father had not consented. I also understand the father was required to stay some distance behind the firing point, which makes it difficult for the organizers to say "well, you should have stood closer."

And I don't think it's too much to expect that when a shoot like this is organized, the organizers are the ones who first and foremost need to know what they're doing, what is within acceptable margins of safety and what is not.

[Bonobo]

15. I just want to repost here for visibility. This happened locally.

A bigger goof-off idiot could not be found. 5 years earlier, during a "gun safety class" in a govt. building, the idiot discharged a rifle round through the wall.


http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/pelhams_...

Here is a picture of the idiot involved. Also if you follow the link, you will see the other idiots, including the 15 year old "trainer".



http://owensboss.blogspot.com /
SPRINGFIELD - The Micro Uzi machine gun that killed 8-year-old Christopher K. Bizilj at a Westfield gun fair last October reportedly jammed twice and was inspected by a 15-year-old boy before it slipped from Christopher's grasp and discharged, according to a $4 million wrongful death lawsuit filed Monday.

Christopher was shot through the head at the "Great New England Pumpkin Shoot" last year, an event the suit alleges was advertised as "an opportunity to shoot machine guns and automatic weapons, without the requirement of permits or licenses to do so" It was sponsored by COP Firearms & Training, owned by Edward Fleury, who resigned as Pelham police chief in March, and the Westfield Sportsman's Club.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court by attorney Vincent A. Bongiorni, of Springfield, on behalf of Christopher's parents, Suzanne M. and Charles D. Bizilj, and his 11-year-old brother, Colin, of Ashford, Conn. The suit alleges negligence in maintenance and training, wrongful death and the infliction of emotional stress against seven defendants: the Westfield Sportsman's Club Inc.; COP Firearms & Training of Amherst; Fleury, of Amherst; Provost Precision Pistols LLC, of Weatogue, Conn.; Carl Giuffre of West Hartford, Conn.; D&T Arms LLC, of New Milford, Conn.; and Domenico J. Spano, of Milford, Conn.

Fleury, Spano and Carl Giuffre face additional criminal charges in Hampden Superior Court. Each has pleaded innocent to charges of involuntary manslaughter and furnishing a machine gun to a minor in connection with the shooting. Their trial had been set for Dec. 8, but was postponed last week.

According to the 32-page lawsuit, on Oct. 28, 2008, Charles Bizilj purchased the opportunity for his son, Christopher, to fire a Micro Uzi 9 mm that was owned by Giuffre and brought to the exposition by Spano. Giuffre and Spano were reportedly designated as "renters" at the expo, hired and solicited by Fleury to provide the weapons used by patrons.

When Christopher reportedly stepped to the line to fire the weapon, the suit alleges that Spano's son, 15-year-old Michael Spano, was the line officer charged with loading the weapon, handing it to the participant and providing instructions on its use. While Christopher was firing, Charles Bizilj was reportedly ordered to stay clear of the area and was required to stand behind restraining ropes.

On the first and second firing attempt, the suit alleges the weapon jammed and that Spano retrieved it, cleared what he believed was a jammed round of ammunition, and handed it back to Christopher. On the third try, when the boy attempted to raise the weapon to his shoulder, the stock slid down his shoulder, causing the barrel to spin upward and discharge as Christopher tried to prevent it from falling, according to the suit.

Shortly after the incident, Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett initiated a probe into the boy's death aimed at determining whether it was illegal or reckless for children to possess or fire a machine gun. State law prohibits furnishing a machine gun to any person under the age of 18.

But others have asserted that the state's gun laws are so poorly written that even experts have trouble deciphering them.

[slackmaster]

19. As someone who has served as range safety officer many times, I have to say some of the blame

Lies with the adults who were supposed to be responsible for maintaining safety.

[Bonobo]

20. Here is the ad for the "Pumpkin Shoot" that got this kid killed!

[benEzra]

21. That wasn't just any Uzi, it was a MICRO UZI.

Rate of fire way higher than a standard submachinegun, recoil way worse than a standard submachinegun, tendency to pitch backward toward the shooter WAY worse than a standard submachinegun, and nowhere for an instructor to hold onto the weapon to prevent it (because it's so small). I've seen vids of kids firing larger full-autos safely; they are usually weapons WITH SHOULDER STOCKS, with low cyclic rates, little tendency to rotate, and the instructor has a hand on the weapon. This situation was none of those; a Micro Uzi is a difficult weapon for an inexperienced ADULT to control.

[Bonobo]

23. What could possibly go wrong?

[benEzra]

27. And I'm not even sure they were using the shoulder stock...

Even with the stock, note that the guy in that photo is VERY aggressively braced for recoil; see how tightly he's got it jammed into his shoulder and cheek, how sharply he's leaning into it, and he has a firm 2-handed grip on the thing. If it were just a civilian semiauto it'd be not such a big deal, but since it's a very torquey full-auto, letting a young child try to shoot that would be dumb even under experienced supervision, never mind the supervision of a 15-year-old.

A child properly supervised, with an adult's hands right there, could safely shoot an M16/AK-47 from a bench in a demo, or a tripod-mounted full auto, and that happens safely all the time. But those guns and the Micro Uzi are quite different beasts.

[Bonobo]

29. I read it had a stock -and that it slipped off his shoulder.

But how would a stock designed for an adult possible be appropriately sized and fitted for an 8 year old?

My firearms instructor told me that a mini-uzi is well-known to have the problem of the muzzle "raising up" when it fires and being very hard to keep down from the recoil.

[benEzra]

31. That's not surprising.

The stock is fairly smooth, and an 8-year-old doesn't have much of a shoulder pocket, or the muscle mass to hold the thing as tightly as the guy in your photo.

[Bonobo]

32. But it's so small and CUTE!~

How could anyone at a gun show have reasonable known it would actually have a recoil???

:sarcasm:

[benEzra]

34. AFAIK, it wasn't a gun show, more like a live fire demonstration and expo at a range.

But yeah, that should have been pretty obvious.

[spin]

35. Damn, I didn't realize that...

The last time I fired an Uzi, my grandsons were with us at and at the time were 13 and 14 years old.

Only the adults fired the Uzi and the owner was very careful to warn us about the recoil and the possibility of the weapon going out of control. He recommended burst firing, two or three rounds and release the trigger.

I had fired fully auto weapons before and the recoil of this full sized Uzi was very manageable.

But we never considered letting the grandsons fire the weapon. The Uzi was an adult toy. (Note: I consider fully automatic firearms fun to shoot but have no desire to own one. They serve a purpose to military and law enforcement. As a civilian, I am quite happy and in reality a lot more effective with a semi-auto firearm.)

[rrneck]

22. I can't resist a car analogy.

Here y'go kid. Just to be safe we'll put a fifteen year old in the passenger seat. Don't forget to sign the release when you pick up the keys.

[benEzra]

28. A micro Uzi would be more like putting the kid in an Indy Car...

or putting him in a pre-stability-control 911 Turbo and having him hot-lap the Nurburgring in the rain.

[rrneck]

33. Yep.

Sometimes it seems like people think everything they touch should make them money or entertain them.

[Lurks Often]

36. A tragic accident

I live in CT and this happened just up the road from me and I have heard some things that have not, as far as I know, made it into the press. I am aware that all of this is at least second hand and should be considered rumors until it has been proven to be fact, however, I do suspect that there is some truth behind these rumors.
1. This was not the first time the father had brought Christopher to a public shoot
2. Apparently the father insisted that Christopher could handle the micro Uzi and had in the past, insisted that Christopher shoot a firearm.
3. The range officer in question was the 15 year old son of Dominic Spano, one of the people who provided the full-auto weapons for the shoot. While a minor, I think the son would be considered to have significant experience with full-auto weapons.
4. The DA either was not going to press charges or sat on the case for several months, apparently the charges were filed only after a great deal of pressure from the Brady (or other) antigun crowd.

Having said all that, I have been shooting much of my life and have handled full-auto weapons in the military, through borrowing friends at the range and at a public shoot similar to the one at Westfield. I would NOT have allowed a child that small to handle anything that was not mounted either on a bipod or tripod.
My suspicion is that the father "browbeat" the 15 year old into allowing Christopher to shoot the micro Uzi and the 15 year old, when confronted with an adult authority figure, backed down as most 15 year old's would.
This was a tragic, preventable accident, but I happen to believe that much of the blame lies with Christopher's father, who as a doctor, would otherwise be considered an intelligent person, for insisting that his son shoot a gun that small.

This is only the second time that I am aware of that a minor died at a full auto shoot. The only other time, a girl died when a gun on a tripod mount fell over and hit her in the head causing a skull fracture, it was not the result of gunfire.

[Francis Marion]

37. Inherently and extraordinarily dangerous situation due to design

Giving a small statured person this particular machine gun was predictably dangerous. The torque imparted to the pistol during firing apparently pivoted the gun into the boy shooting it. Even a police instructor, in at least one case and probably also in others, has been killed in this manner while shooting similar full auto pistols without shoulder stocks.

This was a bad idea from the start, for a young shooter, if adults who should know better have done the same thing.

A mechanically stabilized firearm would have been safe, but not a full auto pistol for a kid. Young persons are capable of shooting many types of fireams safely, but not full auto pistols, especially without stocks. Stock would have helped stabilize the pistol, I presume in this case there was none.

What a bitter tragedy for the family.
Same as handing the kid a chainsaw, should have been a non-starter.