Remember the case of the child who accidentally shot himself at full auto shoot

[RamboLiberal]

Follow up to the case:

SPRINGFIELD - Lawyers for former Pelham Police Chief Edward B. Fleury and the Westfield Sportsman's Club contend their clients should not be charged with furnishing machine guns to minors at the gun show in October at which an 8-year-old boy accidentally shot himself.

The lawyers are not at this time contesting manslaughter charges brought against Fleury and the club in connection with the death of Christopher K. Bizilj, of Ashford, Conn. The boy died of a gunshot wound to the head after losing control of a Micro Uzi submachine gun he was firing during a show on Oct. 26.

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Drechsler said that once participants were armed either Spano's or Guiffre's "outfit would then escort you to the firing line and then you'd be supposedly with an instructor." It was at this point that Drechsler told the judge, " In the case of the young man who was killed it was Mr. Spano's 15-year-old son who was actually supervising, if you will, instructing, the deceased."

Drechsler said the club had no knowledge that a 15-year-old would be supervising an 8-year-old. He said all of the weapons were owned by either Spano or Guiffre.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/lawyers_say_westfield_sportsma.html?category=Crime&category=Deaths&category=Westfield

IMHO this one was irresponsible from the father to the stupid-ass police chief who organized the shoot and whatever idiot allowed a 15 year old to act as range officer with a kid to the gun club.

[iverglas]

1. previous discussion

I googled because I remembered the incident, and it seems there were numerous posts about it at DU.

This is the one I recall, for info:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x188632


edit to add search results for anyone interested in other discussions at DU:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=site%3Awww.democraticunderground.com+Bizilj&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. I believe the father or instructor/supervisor should be held liable.

Ultimately, this is parenting fail.

It's not like the 8yr old rented the gun... I'm sure that would be unallowed. It was more of a case of the child's gaurdian renting it and allowing the youngster to operate it. At that point, the supervisor should have stepped in and taken some action. At most, the rental business and supervisor are responsible and in all cases the parent as well.


I look at this in such a light:
If a gas station sold a qualified individual alchohol or tobacco, they should not be responsible if that person gives it to a kid. Likewise, I've been on a few (unsupervised) test drives of new vehicles where the dealer hands over the keys and asks that you return in 10-15 minutes. If the person driving gives those keys to an unliscened person with them... for example, say a husband, wife and 13yr old and the 13yr wrecks the car and injurs people after being given the keys. How can the dealer be responsible?

[iverglas]

10. look at it upside down if it makes you happy

I look at this in such a light:
If a gas station sold a qualified individual alchohol or tobacco, they should not be responsible if that person gives it to a kid. Likewise, I've been on a few (unsupervised) test drives of new vehicles where the dealer hands over the keys and asks that you return in 10-15 minutes. If the person driving gives those keys to an unliscened person with them... for example, say a husband, wife and 13yr old and the 13yr wrecks the car and injurs people after being given the keys. How can the dealer be responsible?

You just aren't paying attention, are you?

The instructor was there. The person responsible for the firearm did not hand it to Person X, who surreptitiously passed it off to an 8-yr-old, for fuck's sake. The 8-yr-old was being watched by an "instructor".

Pretty lousy analogy you built yourself there. Presumably from not bothering to have a clue what you're talking about before you do it.

But who knows. Maybe, regardless of whether you were speaking out of negligent ignorance or intent to deceive, somebody will think your opinion is just real fine, and nod to themselves, and your job will be done.



typo fixed

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. You're mising the point.

The OP was about indicting the Gun Club and the former police chief for crimes. I was stating my opinion these are not the responsible parties. The owners/renters/supervisors of the event should be the most reliable. That is Carl Guiffre and Domenico Spano - they were brought in to provide the guns and supervision. The Club merely owns the land and, and the police chief Fleury was the event organizer/promoter. Neither provided the guns or supervision.

IMO, this is just a case of "go after the biggest fish" you can.
I think the furthest imaginable strech would be indicting Fleury seing as how he was an organizer the event.

[Tim01]

3. Idiots.

Put a 15 year old in charge. Dumbasses.

They had fucking machine guns. Somebody needs to keep track of what the fuck is going on.

[dairydog91]

4. Whatever happened to the days when a boy's first gun was a .22 rifle? nt

[Xenotime]

5. Now, the gun has to unload 100 rounds in under a second to be cool.

[TheWraith]

8. Says who?

The number of full auto weapons in the US is microscopic and always will be.

[Tejas]

9. hahahahahahaha

100rds a second, yeah right, sell your Playstation and buy a clue.

[Tim01]

6. Oh

You mean something that won't rise like a motherfucker when you pull the trigger?
Yeah, I agree.
Fucking hollywood telling everybody how "cool" guns are.

I swear this whole thing has my head just torqued.

[Statistical]

12. Well to be honest automatic weapons are "cool"

then again so are racecars, alcohol, Las Vegas, and scuba diving.

None of which a responsible adult should allow access to an 8 year old.

[NV Whino]

7. Sounds to me like just about everybody was culpable in this one

First, the parent for allowing an eight-year-old to shoot a fully automatic.
Second, the club for putting a fifteen-year-old as a superviser.
Third, the fifteen-year-old for not stopping the action, and in fact failing at the supervisory job.