Boy Accidentally Kills Himself With Uzi

8-Year-Old Fired Submachine Gun Under Adult Supervision At Massachusetts Gun Fair

(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 Valliere said.

Police identified the child Monday as Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn.

Police said Christopher was with a certified instructor, and they called the incident a "self-inflicted accidental shooting." The boy's father and older brother were also there at the time, a gun club member and school official said.

"The weapon was loaded and ready to fire," police Lt. Hipolito Nunez said. "The 8-year-old victim had the Uzi and as he was firing the weapon, the front end of the weapon went up with the backfire and he ended up receiving a round in his head."

The boy was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.

Francis Mitchell, a longtime member and trustee of the club, said he saw the boy's father supporting his son from behind when the accident happened.

"My reaction is shock," said Mitchell, who lives down the street from the club. "In the last five years, there has never been a problem or a bad accident. I've been sick all night."

Although the death appears to be an accident, 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.

Christopher was a well-liked third-grader at the Ashford School and played soccer in town, said Leonard Lanza, interim superintendent of Ashford public schools.

Christopher's brother, Colin, a sixth-grader at the same school, was with him during the accident, and crisis counselors spoke with students in both boys' classes, Lanza said.

"It's been a very nasty day for the whole community," Lanza said. "One does what one can."

It is legal in Massachusetts 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, Nunez said. The name of the instructor who was with the boy at the time was not released.

Authorities were investigating whether everyone connected with the incident had the proper weapons permits. Massachusetts requires licenses to possess firearms, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issues licenses to possess machine guns.

"We do not know at this time the full facts of this incident," Nunez said Monday afternoon.

In an advertisement for the event (left), 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.

"You will be accompanied to the firing line with a Certified Instructor to guide you. But You Are In Control - "FULL AUTO ROCK & ROLL," the ad said.

The ad also said children under 16 would be admitted free, and both adults and children were offered free .22-caliber pistol and rifle shooting.

Peter Robbins, the former director of the Barnstable Police Academy and a former firearms instructor, called the boy's death a tragedy, but said gun clubs try to teach children about gun safety.

"It's a wonderful experience to expose younger people to firearms safety through these clubs. That's what these clubs are about," Robbins said.

The sportsman's club was founded in 1949 and describes itself on its Web site as an organization that promotes "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.

The boy's father, Charles Bizilj, is director of emergency medicine at Johnson Memorial Hospital, in Stafford Springs, Conn. The hospital issued a statement of condolence but declined further comment.

Connecticut state Rep. Bryan Hurlbert, whose district includes Ashford, said the Bizilj family is well known and highly regarded.

"This is a huge tragedy and the family is very involved locally," he said.

[kingashoka]

What were these people thinking? Giving an 8 year old kid a loaded Uzi to play with makes about as much sense as giving George W. Bush the authority to use military force. Nothing good can happen when "adults" give little boys loaded guns.

[grandesign]

For the last 8 years you have lived with the closest thing to Hitlers Germany and just continued shooting each other and yoursleves. What a joke you are!
Posted by jerryomara at 05:35 AM : Oct 28, 2008

Another dim wit opinion. American leaders may have made some mistakes in certain areas, but they have not murdered millions of people because of their religion, they have not sought to conquer several countries to take over their political system; and most of all, they have not rallied an entire generation to the cause of fanatical war.

The mistakes that have been made, intelligence gaps in certain areas, following false information to bomb civilizans, and misunderstanding the will of the Iraqi people to support their freedom--are not unforgivable.

Giving a hand-held uzi to an 8-year old child, probably one that just learned to ride a bicycle last year, seem more unforgivable.

[grandesign]

I hear about these RGNs preaching gun ownership and brainwashing their children. The only way they take their gun is to "pry it from their cold, dead hands".
Posted by smurfcrusher at 04:09 AM : Oct 28, 2008

I used to sell gun books, traveling throught he Western States to each gun shop, and often times they would have gun ranges in their cellar. A common theme was "how much of an adrenaline rush" they would get as they fired the automatic weapons.

There really isn''t any conspiracy that I can see to this. Fun is measured in different ways. Some like eating to excess, or drugs, or maybe ***. Some people like the power of firing big guns.

Kind of a sad commentary on the reality of the situation. I actually think people would prefer my other story--at least it makes heros out of the pathetic situation.

[smurfcrusher]

My bad, Grandesign. I get upset about this as you can tell, my apologies.

I hear about these RGNs preaching gun ownership and brainwashing their children. The only way they take their gun is to "pry it from their cold, dead hands".

Mission Accomplished.

[grandesign]

Perhaps he thinks America''''s military and police would condone eight year olds shooting at terrorists in America with UZIs.

Or maybe he expects a terrorist troop transport ship to dock and offload tens of thousands of well-armed terrorists after miraculously slipping past our shore defenses.

Or maybe he thinks terrorists will airlift from the other side of the ocean and parachute down en masse?

I would love this RGN to explain how an eight year old''''s proficiency with an UZI is going to save us from terrorists. Because this one won''''t be saving us from anything.
Posted by smurfcrusher at 03:57 AM : Oct 28, 200

None of the above. I was being sarcastic.

[smurfcrusher]

"No way, no how is my 8-year old going to learn about an automatic assault weapon. For what earthly purpose?
Posted by horse3farm at 12:07 AM : Oct 28, 2008

You don''''t think we should be ready when terrorists come to take over the U.S.? Isn''''t it better to have children prepared for protecting our great nation for when the time arrives? What''''s wrong with you. Such a small price to pay to keep our citizens and country safe. That boy, and his family are American heros for our American way of life."

Posted by Grandesign

Classic RGN (Republican Gun Nut).

Perhaps he thinks America''s military and police would condone eight year olds shooting at terrorists in America with UZIs.

Or maybe he expects a terrorist troop transport ship to dock and offload tens of thousands of well-armed terrorists after miraculously slipping past our shore defenses.

Or maybe he thinks terrorists will airlift from the other side of the ocean and parachute down en masse?

I would love this RGN to explain how an eight year old''s proficiency with an UZI is going to save us from terrorists. Because this one won''t be saving us from anything.

[grandesign]

No way, no how is my 8-year old going to learn about an automatic assault weapon. For what earthly purpose?
Posted by horse3farm at 12:07 AM : Oct 28, 2008

You don''t think we should be ready when terrorists come to take over the U.S.? Isn''t it better to have children prepared for protecting our great nation for when the time arrives? What''s wrong with you. Such a small price to pay to keep our citizens and country safe. That boy, and his family are American heros for our American way of life.

[blackyowe]

As a gun owner I can tell you guns are not child''s play. This whole thing should never have happened. What to they want the kids to grow up to long to own the guns that are not legal? How stupid!

Violence begets violence.

[jossy434313]

it is simply negligence; no ''accident''
If you know a gun is loaded, would you still let your child play with it?
A UZI?
For God''s sake!

[jossy434313]

it is tragic that a child died because some adults
stupidity.

[crinklytoes]

How is it possible that an 8-year-old died while shooting an UZI? I cannot imagine how this possibly happened with a massive firearm built for mortal combat. I think they should still allow 8-year-olds to fire guns, just perhaps with a few more moments of instruction. Maybe that will work next time, with the other son ...

[crinklytoes]

Wahoooo

[larry20040]

Redneck, gun owner, stupid. Just can''t get more
lethal than that!

[cdfoxtrot4]

And we wonder why kids are the way they are? parents have no idea how to raise kids.
Who in their right mind will allow a 8 year old to handle a gun a powerful as a Uzi?
this has nothing to do with the 2nd amendment (which talked about a well regulated militia btw - not yahoos running around with guns)

Posted by jncc1701

Exactly. These parents should be behind bars and any other kids they have should be taken into protective custody. How this cop could support and condone this terrible parenting is beyond me.

[larry20040]

I think that father and intructor should be
prosecuted. PERIOD.

[horse3farm]

Stupid parents. No way, no how is my 8-year old going to learn about an automatic assault weapon. For what earthly purpose? That''s not what you use to hunt, unless you''re a sicko. Someone give me one good reason why an automatic assault weapon should even exist?

[simplemind2]

Pen is more powerful than sword!
Get an education.
BTW, I don''t mean just High School education.
Nowadays so many companies doing business globally.
Some folks lost their jobs to foreign workers.
The reason is not always due to foreigner getting paid less.
There are quite a few circumstances that the domestic workers are possessing less skill and knowledge.
Case and point, I ran into high school graduates working at the restaurant - can''t even take reservation because they couldn''t even spell ENGLISH!
Imaging that - HS graduates don''t know how to spell not any foreign language - E-N-G-L-I-S-H.
I''m surprised and shocked people talking about letting 8 yrs old kid PLAY with "GUN" instead of studying "BOOK"!
See - "BOOK" vs "GUN" - "BOOK" gives one knowledge which will give a person the real power vs "GUN" to do what?
If one really wants to play "GUN", then please join the military - be as you want to be!

[ofbyfor3]

Posted by xentpro at 10:53 PM : Oct 27, 2008

This is about EXTREMISM. And BTW, do I detect a bit of thinly veiled racism in your post? Or are you referring to white people when you say ''the very people you have constantly made excuses for and tried to ''save'' with your ''good deeds for the oppressed''?

[t333a]

quote : Peter Robbins, the former director of the Barnstable Police Academy and a former firearms instructor, called the boy''s death a tragedy, but said gun clubs try to teach children about gun safety.

"It''s a wonderful experience to expose younger people to firearms safety through these clubs. That''s what these clubs are about," Robbins said. "
Teaching kids about safety while killing them off or badly maming, yah real great selling point for this pasttime. Open your eyes, ban kids from handling guns before more die, it they take them up as adults at least they got to live a little longer and then it is their choice.