'Full auto' senseless gun death

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Christopher Bizilj, who accidentally shot himself to death Sunday with an automatic Micro Uzi, is a tragic example of how something can be legal and still insane.

Christopher was taken by his father to an annual machine gun shoot at the Westfield Sportsman's Club. According to advertising for the event, no minimum age and no licenses were required to shoot machine guns at pumpkins and "other fun stuff we can't print here." The advertisement boasted, "It's all legal and fun. You will be accompanied to the firing line with a Certified Instructor to guide you. But You Are In Control - FULL AUTO ROCK & ROLL."

But Christopher, who had been shooting nonautomatic guns since age 5, was given way too much control for such a young boy. He apparently held the Uzi with no adult hands bracing the shot. Upon squeezing the trigger, Christopher lost control of the recoil and received a fatal bullet to the head.

Incredibly, there is no minimum age to fire a gun in Massachusetts. All that is required for someone under 18 is parental consent and the presence of a licensed instructor. That is a massive loophole that has to be closed, especially when parents show such poor judgment about their children's well-being. In this case, many more children could have been accidentally cut down.

The co-chair of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Michael Costello of Newburyport, hopes to hold hearings on the problem in November. He is wisely thinking about setting a minimum age of 15 for firing an automatic weapon, the same age a youth can obtain a license for a rifle or shotgun with a parent's permission.

The Westfield case also suggests that town gun clubs and roving gun show companies, such as the Amherst-based COP Firearms and Training, which organized the Westfield event, should face far more stringent regulations. In 1999, the town of Hanson established a 21 minimum age for the firing of automatic weapons after it was reported that children shot them at a Hanson Rod and Gun Club show.

This latest tragedy cries out for a statewide ban on children handling automatic weapons. Hampden District Attorney William Bennett issued a statement Tuesday saying he has "found no lawful authority which allows an 8-year-old to possess or fire a machine gun." He said he is investigating to see if "it was a reckless or wanton act to allow an 8-year-old to use a fully loaded automatic weapon."

Bennett, of course, will find no lawful authority. But it will be reckless and wanton if this tragedy does not result in new laws.