A 9-year-old girl
vacationing with her family accidentally shot and killed an instructor at a
shooting range, authorities said.
The shooting happened
at 10 a.m. Monday at Arizona Last Stop, a tourist spot southeast of Las Vegas.
According to the
Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the instructor – identified as Charles Vacca,
39 – was standing next to the girl, teaching her how to use an automatic Uzi.
The girl’s parents stood nearby, capturing video of the experience.
As the girl pulled the
trigger, the recoil caused her to lose control of the gun, with Vacca
accidentally shot in the head, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said. Vacca
was flown to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Sam Scarmardo, the gun
range operator, was distraught about Vacca's death.
"It's like losing
a brother," Scarmardo said. "These aren't employees or associates of
ours, these are family. We're all family."
Many gun ranges allow
children who are 8 years and older – with parental supervision – to shoot
firearms, Scarmardo said.
"We instruct kids
as young as 5 on .22 rifles, and they don't get to handle high firearms, but
they're under the supervision of their parents and of our professional range
masters," Scarmardo said.
Culled from Yahoo News
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