8-year-old Boy Dies after Accidentally Shooting Self with Gun Club Uzi

By Aaron Poehler

Published on October 28, 2008

8-year-old Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Connecticut died Sunday after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing a fully automatic Uzi machine gun at a gun fair under adult supervision.

The accident occurred at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club in Westfield, Massachusetts. Witnesses reported that the boy's father, Charles Bizilj, was supporting his son from behind at the time of the accident; a police spokesman stated that as the boy fired the Uzi, the front end of the gun went up with the weapon's backfire, causing a round fired from the gun to penetrate the boy's head. Christopher Bizilj was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died later Sunday.

Police also stated the boy was with a certified instructor when the shooting occurred, and that it is legal in Massachusetts for children to fire a weapon under supervision of a properly certified and licensed instructor with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

The event was organized by C.O.P. Firearms & Training, a Massachusetts-based company that organizes machine gun shoots throughout New England. It is unclear whether charges will be filed over the incident. The event is currently under investigation by police and the Hampden district attorney's office.

 

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