Hampden DA investigating death of boy shot by machine gun

The father should be held accountable for this. What kind of father will allow 8 year old to fire an automatic weapon?

This 8-year old's father said that his son

"had fired handguns and rifles for three years"?

You mean, he had been firing live weapons since he was five years old?? And with his father's approval he is handed a loaded uzi? To shoot? Shoot where?

I prefer not to criticize parents especially since news reports seldom include enough facts, but I am stunned by all aspects of this absolutely-avoidable tragedy and by the father's lack of comprehension that it could -- and did -- happen. The only way this could have been more tragic is if the boy had shot a stranger....

“This accident was truly a mystery to me.” Are you freaking kidding me? Let me solve this one for you. You allowed your son, your precious 8 year old son, to shoot an automatic weapon with live ammo. He was a 3rd grader!!! I am beyond saddened for the family of this little boy. What a horrible, terrible accident. An accident that could have been so easily avoided.

The instructor knew what kind of kick that weapon has.

Even an adult has problems dealing with that weapon's powerful recoil.

It was all about profit first, safety second.

Children can and should be removed from parental care in cases of reckless endangerment. What a pity that was not done before this needless, senseless tragedy.

Can some one tell me why the general public even has access to uzis? What purpose do they serve? I get hand guns and rifles, but an uzi?

I prefer Uzi's to hunt deer, rabbits, turkeys, and anything else that moves. Its a sure shot

I find it ironic that we have laws and policies that prevent a 20 year old from having a glass of wine with dinner, and allow for an 8 year old to fire a sub-machine gun that fires 90 rounds per second. This was a preventable tragedy, and I can only hope it will encourage gun enthusiasts to rethink gun control. Hunting rifles for shooting game are one thing, but why does anyone outside of the military, let alone an 9 year old need to fire a weapon intended to cause maximum damage to another human? We should all pressure our state polititians to review the current laws.

unbelievable...Firearms for hunting I get but nobody, especially not a 8yr old, should be allowed to own such a riffle. They are designed to KILL people....and then they end up on the street.

Well, this is just mind blowing. The kid’s father, Dr. Charles Bizilj, is not only a medical doctor, but he is the director of emergency medicine at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Conn. That means he’s seen first hand the damage bullets can do. How can anyone be smart enough to become a doctor and yet so STUPID as to let an EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILD shoot a loaded automatic weapon? This one ought to qualify Charles D. Bizilj, M.D., for the Darwin awards as his son certainly won’t be passing his genes along to anyone. He should be regretting this for be rest of his life. Too bad his son had to pay the ultimate price for his father’s stupidity.

it is so sad, tragic, avoidable, irresponsible. I am sick over it - the last moments of that boy- so scared, crying, in pain. his father will live with this for the rest of his life.

arrest the father / parent.

The father should be held responsible!

What kind of society do we live in? Hopefully not one where a father can recklessly allow his 8year-old son to kill himself so easily and then go on national television the FOLLOWING day and casually shrug it off as an accident. Guess if he'd let him play with rattlesnakes and the boy died of a snakebite than it would be an accident too.

Go get him William Bennett !

Would the DA PLEASE prosecute the parent? If this parent lived in Roxbury, DSS and the DA would already be involved. Please enforce the current laws. Child endangerment, manslaughter? We do not need more laws to deal with this criminal physician/parent. Lock him up!

I'm surprised by the father's assertion that he doesn't know how this happened and that his son had been shooting firearms since the age of 5. Where in the world did common sense go?? The father, the gun club and the so-called expert should have their heads examined for allowing a child, yes a child, anywhere near that uzi. Why is a gun club allowed to even have one of these weapons? A lot of gun clubs are in populated areas.

While I'm sure the father is devastated by this, he should not be allowed to simply stand back "10 feet" and not have to answer for this legally. Talk about child endangerment! The club, the father, and the instructor should be prosecuted.

guns are deigned to push a projectile out the end of the barrel at a specific rate. Guns don't kill people they can't. You put the gun on the ground and what does it do nothing. you give the gun to a dog what does the dog do with it nothing. People kill people. what had happend here is poor training. The second amendment also protects the 8 year old. does not matter thier age. If you take the guns out of the kids that need to know how to use them then all you are left with is a bunch of criminal and cops shooting at people that don't have guns to protect yourself.

It is terrible when an eight year old child is killed. What I do not understand is why some think an incident like this is more terrible than an eight year old child being killed on a bike or crossing the street.

Atomic bombs don't kill people. Give an atomic bomb to a dog and what happens: nothing. Put an atomic bomb on the ground and what does it do: nothing. If kids can't have atomic bombs then only criminals will have atomic bombs.

Boy, I'm glad to see that the liberal gun banners aren't using one person's lack of judgment as a jumping-off platform to attack all gun owners..............oh, wait, never mind...........

"......that fires 90 rounds per second....." (actually closer to 21 per second, use google first) or "..........I get hand guns and rifles, but an uzi?......." (uzis can be either a handgun or a rifle, in this case it was a handgun)

Look at the odds of your child being killed while driving a car, flying in a plane or being attacked by a dog. They are much higher than the chances of being hurt by a legally owned gun - that is fact - so before you go banning guns, get rid of your cars, quit flying and shoot the family dog. Your world will be safer for it.

What kind of Doctor is this man? Hello it doesn't take brains to understand no 8 year old should be handling a gun. My question is where was the mother during this tragedy? Better yet where was DSS?

Someone, You ought to pay more attention to things going on around him. Dogs have been know to shoot their masters on hunting trips, when their masters are stupid enough to leave there firearms laying around. Common sense would tell you that an 8 year old second amendment or not should be using an uzi. What next? Have them firing .454's? That would be smart. Too many people like you put blinders on when it comes to firearms, and don't thing sensibly.

I purchased my sons first handgun when he was 5 years old. He is to this day a safe and experienced gun handler. It was an unfortunate accident and the father is suffering for it.. You gun bigots keep your hateful remarks to yourselves.
MY GOD HOW THE MAN MUST BE SUFFERING. SHOW SOME PITY AND KIDNESS.

"I prefer Uzi's to hunt deer, rabbits, turkeys, and anything else that moves. Its a sure shot

Posted by uzi deer hunter October 28, 08 03:03 PM"

So that deer, rabbit, turkey and anything else that moves doesn't stand a chance with you, right? Do you cheat at cards, too? You are a murderer.

Do

America can't eat its cake and have it. The occasional tragic accident is the inevitable price of the Second Amendment.

I cannot show this father pity. I know, being a parent myself, that I could never go on television and be as calm and matter-of-fact about this as this father was. I wouldn't even be able to speak! This man has brains to be a doctor but no common sense. What was he thinking? An 8 year old??? Let alone that he states his son has 5 years experience with guns . . . what? Scary stuff.
I have to agree with many of the comments others have submitted. The laws about liquor, but yet an 8 year old can handle a gun? The fact that if it were a black parent DSS would be involved. . . so true.
This is so, so sad. I'm glad the DA is investigating this. People need to start taking accountability for their actions!

Josh, the reason the odds are different is because there are many orders of magnitude fewer Uzis being used than cars and planes. Oh yeah, and we don't let 8-year-olds drive or pilot a 747. Get a grip.

And if you bothered to notice, most of your so-called "liberal gun banners" have even stated their support for hunting rifles and handguns used by ADULTS.

Josh and "Someone" show the knee-jerk stupidity of far-right NRA gun nuts. "No guns are ever a bad idea. No rules are ever good." Your "family dog" can see more shades of gray than you can.

"I am sick over it - the last moments of that boy- so scared, crying, in pain. his father will live with this for the rest of his life."

I doubt that's how his last moments were spent, as he shot himself in the head. More likely it was alive one moment, dead the next. Sorry to be graphic, but I doubt the kid was aware for even a split second what had happened.

Geno, there is no need for any individual, adult or child, to be test driving a machine gun unless they are in the military. I feel for the father, but i also will never understand the need for a child the age of 5 or 8 to learn to shoot a gun. This is not a hunting gun, this is a killing machine - made for the sole purpose of killing humans -- many humans. Sick if you ask me.

TO give a small child a Micro Uzi, an Israeli-made machine pistol that fires its magazine of up to 32 rounds at the rate of 1700 rounds per minute is insane. That this idiot has a medical license and is in charge of emergency medicine in a hospital is mind blowing, I would not let him treat my Cat, It is a shame that his son had to die because he had such a low self worth that he tried to compensate for his lack of machismo by trying to turn his son into a grammar school Rambo, the scary thing is he has another son, he has said enough stupid things regarding guns and children that the state of Connecticut should take away his other child before it is too late, and if his wife does not dump him she is as stupid as he is.

"Look at the odds of your child being killed while driving a car, flying in a plane or being attacked by a dog. They are much higher than the chances of being hurt by a legally owned gun - that is fact - so before you go banning guns, get rid of your cars, quit flying and shoot the family dog. Your world will be safer for it."

Yes, but we don't allow our 8-year old children to drive cars, if we did THEN your facts about a kid's chances dying while driving a car might be relevant.

Perhaps if you first "Googled" car accidents involving 8-year old drivers you wouldn't had made such a pointless argument regarding them.

Even my best friend with NRA membership and who has hunted since age 12 would have to admit that Uzi deer hunter isn't much of a sportsman.

Maybe he ought to pick up a rifle and practice better marksmanship.

I grew up in rural westerm PA and we all had gun safety classes in high school. I fully support carrying guns for sport provided that they are handled by adults and locked up when not in use.

I don't know one hunter that would allow a 5 year old begin with guns nor let an 8 year old handle an automatic. Sheer stupidity.

Causes of death for children (as of 2005)
#1 - Motor vehicle accident
#2 - Drowning
#3 - Pedestrian accident
#4 - Fire/burn
#5 - Airway obstruction
#6 - Bicycle accident
#7 - Unintentional firearm injury
#8 - Poisoning
So, since bicycles lead firearm injuries as a cause of death, let's ban bicycles.
Let's ban backyard pools so kids won't drown.
Let's ban children from riding in vehicles.
Let's ban kids from walking across streets.
Let's ban all objects that can be put into kids' mouths.
*Then* after all that takes place, let's talk about banning guns.

Mike, I think you're losing sight over what people are upset over. I didn't see a post saying ban guns, what I am reading isuse common senseto avoid senseless tragedy. Accidental death is horrible for the surviving relatives, but when the death of a CHILD could havebeen avoided by asking yourself should I allow my child to use an uzi,then it is horrific. Do not turn this into a secomd ammendment issue, realize that this was an EIGHT year old. I donn't even allow my ten year old to use the stove when I'm not home. I think people are horrified by a child's death by any means,from cancer to car accidents. We become upset when a child falls out a window,drowns in a pool or is hit by a car because they are a CHILD and never had the chance to live beyond their last birthday. A child isentitled to be loved,to feel safe and to be protected to the best of our capabilities. Re-focus you Ban the guns ,eigth ammendment and ask yourself how you would feel if this was YOUR child,basically robbed from you. Tragedy is tragedy in any form. Recognize it .

People here comparing this to cars or bikes are more ignorant than that poor excuse for a father.

As a firearms enthusiast and parent here in Mass, All I an say is that they need to throw the book at the range-master and probably the father.
My daughter was shooting at age 8, but never in my wildest dreams would I have let her shoot even a semi-automatic pistol, much less a Micro-Uzi. Anyone who knows anything about the weapon should be able to second this.
A knee-jerk reaction for more gun laws in the most over-regulated state in the country isn't an answer for a one-off tragedy like this. It's difficult to the point of impossibility for people to own firearms in this state. It's a six-weeek long background check, automatic disqualifiers for drunk driving convictions or even misdemeanor drug offenses, no matter how long ago they occurrred. Adding more laws won't help. Enforce thones we already have. Lay the hammer down on the father and the range-master. They should have known better. But leave the rest of us law-abiding gun-owners alone.the

Can we just just ban stupidity?

My dad didn't let me touch a gun till I was at least 10, and then it was a BB gun, and he made sure I was able to use that with the proper respect, awareness and skill before allowing me to shoot a 22 caliber rifle and pistol, then a 410 shot gun, and so forth. As I got older and could physically handle larger weapons I was allowed to use them. Proper training is essential and part of that is starting at a young age, but with weapons that are matched for the physical capabilities of those using them. A micro Uzi is simply far to dangerous for an 8 year old, under any form of supervision. Yes, shooting a fully automatic weapon is fun, and I can see why the kid had been 'looking forward to it' for months. Sex and alcohol are also fun, but there is a reason we have laws to protect underage children from abusing them. This is not a gun issue, this is a parenting issue! I feel great sympathy for the father and I hope he learns from this tragedy if he has any other children.

If 8 year olds cant drink alcohol or drive cars, what business do they have firing automatic weapons?? Common sense

This boy's father is an MD!! Mentally Deranged!! The above video sounded more like a routine day in Bagdad than a small town in middle Massachusetts.

These rambo wannabes are just asking for trouble. Why couldn't you just stay home and watch the Pats beat the Rams.

"Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett said today he has found "no lawful authority'' that would allow an 8-year-old to possess or fire a machine gun, two days after a boy that age was killed after he apparently lost control of an Uzi and shot himself during a gun exposition at the Westfield Sportsmen's Club."

WTF??? The DA is going to file charges if he can find no affirmative law that specifically states an 8-year old can fire a machine gun? Here's a hint, it's right along with the law that specifically says a kid can sleep in a tent, a couple paragraphs from the part that specifically allows playing hopscotch. What a buffoon.

It's possible to charge someone with negligent homicide without trying to figure out some way to throw the book at him for mysterious firearms "crimes".

That instructor was negligent; it's clear that shooting a powerful gun is inherently risky, and the accident rate should be zero, and an accident is essentially prima facie evidence of negligence. I wouldn't prosecute someone for letting a kid fire a gun, but after the fact I would in fact prosecute for negligence. This quote "lawful authority" which is a hint that there was some crime BEFORE the fact of the self-injury is just offensive overreaching.

That dad is a really foolish man, but just as I would cut slack for the moms excessively punished for stupid things they let their kids get into, likewise I'd leave this dad to suffer his own private punishment.

Where is the mother in all of this? My heart is broken for her and the boy's older brother.

I am a mother of two boys. I can't imagine her terror the day her husband drove off with her two boys to shoot Uzi's. It's beyond incomprehensible.

This is amazing. There are really several issues here. First, if I were allowing my kid to fire an SMG (or any other weapon he was not familiar and fully "qualified" with) I'd be behind him, with a positive control of both the weapon and the kid. The fact that this guy didn't/wasn't is enough to convince me he's a frikkin idiot, his degree and specialty notwithstanding. Also, he obviously doesn't know crap about weapons--the lighter and smaller it is in a given caliber, the worse the recoil and muzzle climb. A Thompson SMG in .45acp 'prolly woulda been fine--it weighs a ton!

Second, is the so-called instructor equally brain-damaged? Even if Dad didn't know, he shoulda'.

Finally, I akm struck by the comments of the Hampden County DA, "I have found no lawful authority' that would allow an 8-year-old to possess or fire a machine gun." Someone ought to give this pecker-head a review of US Constitutional Law, versus European Law. In the US (even Mass.) an action is permitted unless it is proscribed. Even absurdly stupid actions. One does not need permission of the State to do something. One is only restrained from doing that which is disallowed. Typical Masshole Liberal.
Third, I

This is why I believe in the Death Penalty. In this case, there is no chance of framing a defendent. I do not want taxpayers to pay for jail for a man who mudered his son. I do not want more laws. I just want accountabilty!

No age limit or licenses required to shoot machine guns, handguns, rifles or shotguns!!!” This was the quote/way the gun shoot was promoted. Some conduct while not illegal per se, I would think could still rise to the level of negligence/negligent homicide under certain statutes. I will leave that to the lawyers/authorities to decide, but personally even if not illegal I think it defies common sense to allow such unrestricted access to machine guns to a child who was so young. This needs to be investigated thoroughly.

From www.lawlib.state.ma.us

The Department of Fire Services reminds us once again that all fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts without a license. Their brochure, Be Smart: Leave Fireworks to the Professionals, contains frightening statistics about the number of burn injuries caused by fireworks, as well as the reminder that buying fireworks from out of state via the Internet is also prohibited.

So, can't light fireworks on July 4th, but can fire an Uzi. Who here doesn't want to change our Uzi legislation??

As the father of a boy that spent the day there I can tell you that we have been going to this event for years without a single incident, I am sure many of you can not understand why we let our kids do this stuff but I will try to explain. Some of us grew up with guns and hunting and we enjoy this stuff with our kids and are eager to pass it onto our kids. As people handling guns as youngster we respect and enjoy guns and shooting all our lives. Some of us parents are not interested in raising our kids to be lawyers and politicians, some of us have aspirations of our kids having honorable professions like Navy seals, Rangers, Marines or police officers. Rather then letting our kids sit on the couch and play video games about this stuff we take them out to experience things for real. If you watch that video closely you will see the range officer having his hands on my son at all times while the kid has a loaded gun in his hands, its not like we are giving the kids the guns and letting them run around with them. This was a very freak accident, this club has been operating since 1949 without a single incident until now. If they hold the event again we will be there.

Sympathy for the father is one thing, but it shouldn't misplace anger at his stupidity and, possibly, criminal negligence. I hope he'll spend some time behind bars with plenty of time to reflect on how irrational and selfish his behavior was. To afford him much sympathy is reminiscent of the old story about the boy who kills both his parents and then asks for sympathy from the Court because he's an orphan!

How did we get from "a well-regulated militia" to 8-year-olds firing machine guns?

Any dad can see the kid in the video just wants to be with his dad.

The guns are the dad's thing. The kid just wanted to be with him. It could have been anything. Baseball, checkers...

In that context, an 8-year-old who accidentally shoots himself in the head just trying to be with dad...

...that's bad.

The father was stupid to let his son do this, sure, but I believe the so-called "instructor" is the person who needs to be locked up here. Such an "expert" should know better than to allow an 8-year old boy to hold, let alone shoot, a weapon like this.

Pity the father. Nobody will ever punish him as much as he will punish himself for what has happened to his precious boy. Lock up the "expert" for his criminal negligence!!

I'm so angry. What a sick excuse for a parent. It (was) his job to protect his child. The child was too young and innocent to understand the dangerous, deadly situation his PARENT placed hime in.

Dear Prosecutor,
Forget child endangerment. This is second degree murder, at least. Lock him up and throw away the key. Through whatever you can the gun show dude too. Stupid animals.

no one under 18 should be allowed on these firing ranges PERIOD...not w/ a parent, not at all

all this talk about "children need to learn about guns" is BS...you wouldn't let an 8 year old drive a car, why in the world would you let them shoot a gun?!?!?!

The duty of care for the child was primarily in the hands of the trainer. His father although a complete idiot, should have been told by the professional that he was acting like an idiot. BTW, if you are going to allow an 8 year old to fire an Uzi and you know it kicks like a mule, shouldn't you at least be concerned enough to have a hand or two on it? I would like to hear more abou the liability of the trainor and the club, the father has already paid the maximum penalty.

"he stood 10 feet behind his son as a professional trained in using the 9mm Micro Uzi stood beside the boy."

32 - how can you equal eating, walking, swimming and transporting yourself with using something which has killing as its only purpose? Children need to eat, exercise, go to school etc. They don't need to kill.
It's totally absurd that firearms should even be in the top 500 causes of death for children.

Since we can't ban stupidity, the best we can say is that the 8 yo died instantly and painlessly. As tragic as that is, it's not like we haven't seen this before (Jonesboro just to name one) and we will see this again in the future. It's stupidity, pure and simple. Don't be surprised when it occurs again, for those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Maybe this is proof positive of evolution. Nature had to get rid of the stupid genes one way or another.

I love guns. I have been around them and have fired them, and yes they are great and I get an amazing thrill from them. But I'm also a parent and i Love my children more and i would never in MY RIGHT MIND allow to have a gun near or around my home, yet let my kids shoot one regardless of what kind it is. As an MA in Pediatrics for 2yrs. an EMT and growing up a high crime area. there are many parents for many different reasons that DSS should have been involved. I don't think that guns need to be banned just like, alchol or cars should be but as a parent MY #1 PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT MY CHILDREN. I plan a getting a gun soon but it will never be around my kids

John,
I read somewhere the kid was crying when he was loaded into the ambulance while onlookers shouted encouragement. If its true, there was no instant and painless death.

#43: You want the death penalty for what is maybe at a stretch 2nd degree murder, more credibly negligent homicide? That's a little on the draconian side, don't you think? If the prosecutor has to do legal research to determine whether a crime was even committed, I think that's a pretty strong argument against the death penalty.

#46 Well said. I was raised in a very rural area of Arizona. As is and has been a tradition in our family for generations we hunt, fish, camp, off-road, and shoot for pleasure and experiences.My grandfather taught me with a BB gun at age 4, 22 at 5, Big bore rifle (30-40Krag) at 9. My children started shooting with BB guns as soon as they could understand and demonstrate the safety rules. They progressed to single shot 22's and then semi-autos. My kids have been shooting handguns and rifles since they were 5. We have machine guns and they shoot them at 9&11. TargetShootingISaSPORT. This was SIMPLY a TRAGIC accident with no Fault. America needs 2 stop pointing fingers.

What is the rationale for allowing a child to shoot a gun? The fact that the boy was allowed to fire a high-powered automatic weapon is unthinkable. The fact that the boy's father is an MD and director of an emergency department propels this horrifically sad story to the apex of parental stupidity. I feel terrible for this family and I hope that parents everywhere will re-think any decision to allow a minor to shoot a firearm. What an awful learning experience.