This is heartbreaking. A 39-year-old instructor, teaching a 9-year-old girl how to fire an Uzi, was accidentally shot and killed when the gun recoiled and flew over the girl’s head.
Charles Vacca, a veteran and gun instructor, was filmed while showing the young girl proper handling techniques at the Bullets and Burgers gun range in Dolan Springs, Arizona. Though the video cuts off before any accident is shown, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department reported the girl fired the weapon, and it recoiled, sending a shot that struck Vacca. He later died of his injuries.
Please note, although the video does not show the accident, it still may be tough to watch while knowing the eventual outcome.
www.youtube.com/embed/cfMzK7QwfrU
The incident will undoubtedly serve as another tragic talking point in the long debate about children and gun safety, but gun range operator Sam Scarmardo told local news station KLAS that Vacca was a trained professional and that all rules were followed prior to the accident.
“Our guys are trained to basically hover over people when they’re shooting,” Scarmardo said. Vacca can also be heard in the video giving extensive instructions to the girl before she shoots.
Aside from mourning Vacca’s death and the young girl’s involvement, range employees quickly instituted a new policy, stating that guests must now be 5 feet tall and 12 years or older to be able to shoot.
While it’s good to see the range responded to the tragedy in a productive way, do you think there could have been more done to prevent the accident? Or are things like this bound to happen, even when safety measures are in full effect?
More on gun safety
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Toy guns: Harmless fun or mixed messages?
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