8 year old at a gun show

[glock89]

Horrible news.  Let the kids learn under direct supervision with a bolt action, single shot loaded .22  How everyone in my family learned.

8 years seems awfully young still, and an AUTOMATIC uzi?  jeez.

Who give a 8 years old a uzi just him a handgun full of paintballs or something.

[Xasthur]

Mine already have, as did I, under DIRECT SUPERVISION.

Now they are not curious what it is like, nor will they try to satisfy that curiosity without me around.  

Good point. Kids do not have access to guns here, so I didn't think of it like that.

[rabbidrabbit]

I agree, prosecute. 

Stupidity should be painful.

I would think losing your son to a moment of poor judgment is the kind of painful that the law can never touch.

[mensa180]

I would think losing your son to a moment of poor judgment is the kind of painful that the law can never touch.

I agree, no prosecution needed here.  I have seen people lose children, and I can only imagine what this guy is going through...especially because it was his decision. 

Don't get me wrong, what he did wasn't right and it wasn't smart...But I wouldn't want to pile on and make things any worse for him at this point, he will have to live with this forever.

[Newman5]

Having a young son myself, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by stories like this.  Any time a young innocent life like this is snuffed out it is a travesty.  Having fired automatic weapons myself many times I can picture in my mind exactly what happened and it is horrifying but predictable.  Such a young child should NEVER be allowed to fire such a weapon.  The boy's father will have to live with this horribly stupid and tragic mistake for the rest of his life.  I personally wouldn't be able to carry on.

Oh man, you couldn't have posted it more accurate for me.  I wouldn't be able to either.

[rabbidrabbit]

Out of curiosity, How many of you were there to see what happened?  Gross negligence was most likely a major factor but what if the kid wasn't following directions or accidentally discharged the weapon?  By all means, the instructor and father should have been very closely supervising the situation and bear some responsibility regardless of the circumstances.

[humble]

I'm amazed that any qualified weapons instructor would let ANYONE fire a weapon on full auto initially with anything other then a partial clip. I am not familiar with the UZI so I do not know if it has an option that fires just 3 rounds like many others or not....but the 1st time I fired a thompson on full auto the range master only allowed 3 rds in the mag as a precaution and then only 10 rds. It's amazing how strong the "muzzle walk" is. Who ever the "instructor" is should be up on charges of some kind.

[Kazaa]

Why had a kid been given an instrument to kill another human being anyway ?

[rabbidrabbit]

Why had a kid been given an instrument to kill another human being anyway ?

Like a car?

[Kazaa]

You let kids drive over there also ?

edit: I should have wrote "an instrument made to purposely kill another human being."

[Skyeho]

The only thing I was allowed to have at the age of 8 was a pellet gun.  An Uzi....that is insane. 

[Race]

     Great.....more ammuntion to ban full auto guns. I would bet more kids die from a 9mm handgun than all full auto guns combined. Instead we make more laws to cover 20-30 kids a year who die from STUPIDITY (parents or otherwise). Banning full auto guns is comparable to banning concealed carry permits. How many permits are used in a crime? None? Granted conceal carry does more good but from the stand point of crimes involved they are very close. Ban the legal guns until most normal people cant have (or afford) and put rather limited effort into cleaning the streets of illegal guns or illegal ownership. My son will start shooting around that age just like I did and he will learn the right way. This is lack of supervision more than anything else. Would anyone be questioning this if the kid died on a gokart or knocked his head on a skateboard ramp? If the goal is to prevent all fatalies there are far better places to spend your time. Its all about guns this...guns that. What about the 5,000(or so per year) kids that died in fatal car crashes!

Race

[Hangtime]

more kids die per year chasing soccer balls into traffic than die from accidental weapons discharge.

gonna outlaw soccer balls?

[Kazaa]

more kids die per year chasing soccer balls into traffic than die from accidental weapons discharge.

gonna outlaw soccer balls?

Statistics can be manipulated for your own desire, I would love to check your data. I'm sure that most American family's don't let their kids handle guns, let alone full automatic weapons. I'm also sure a lot of kids play soccer though. Sounds like a statistic the NRA would use.

I also think you should be looking away from the soccer ball and more towards what hit the child among other things.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I would think losing your son to a moment of poor judgment is the kind of painful that the law can never touch.

While that's 100% true without a doubt, the prosecution should be done to set a legal presedence to deter future attempts on such stupidity. If not on the father then the instructor.