Gun Fair death of youngster

[tombogan03884]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/01/gun_fair_organi.html

More at link

 

By Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD -- A Massachusetts jury acquitted a gun fair organizer of manslaughter in the 2008 death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself in the head with an Uzi submachine gun.

A Hampden Superior Court jury found former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury not guilty on Friday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn. The charge carried up to 20 years on prison.

Fleury was also cleared of three charges of furnishing machine guns to minors.

The jury returned the verdict on its first full day of deliberations. It got the case on Thursday after closing arguments.

Fleury's firearms training company co-sponsored the annual Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, about 10 miles west of Springfield. Christopher was shooting a 9 mm micro Uzi at some pumpkins on Oct. 26, 2008, when the gun kicked back and shot him in the head.

Prosecutor William Bennett told the jury that Fleury was criminally reckless in running the event because he allowed children to illegally shoot machine guns under the supervision of a firing range officer who was 15 at the time and didn't have a firearms license or certification.

Fleury's lawyer, Rosemary Curran Scapicchio, denied the allegations and blamed the boy's father, emergency room Dr. Charles Bizilj, for allowing Christopher and his then-11-year-old brother Colin to shoot such a dangerous weapon. Scapicchio noted that Charles Bizilj signed a waiver at the expo acknowledging the risks, including death, and absolving anyone of liability if something bad happened.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1309571&srvc=rss

Again, more at link

SPRINGFIELD — A Massachusetts jury has acquitted a gun fair organizer of manslaughter in the 2008 death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself in the head with an Uzi submachine gun.

A Hampden Superior Court jury found former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury not guilty on Friday of involuntary manslaughter and other charges in the death of Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn. The charge carried up to 20 years on prison.

A prosecutor argued Fleury was criminally reckless in running a gun fair at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club west of Springfield because he allowed children to shoot machine guns under the supervision of an unlicensed and uncertified teenager.

Fleury’s lawyer denied he was reckless and noted Christopher’s father signed a liability waiver.

[twyacht]

There is no good outcome to this tragic event. The hindsight is eating away at everyone involved, and will continue to do so.

It happens so fast, and the would have, could have, should have, is more of an albatross around the neck of the RO, and parents.

I remember the story, and don't feel the former Sheriff/exhibitor was negligent. It was bantered here on previous posts, regarding parental supervision also.

Very sad.

[Majer]

I was at the shoot the day before with my daughter, They had a lot of "Young" folks on the shooting line acting as R.O.'s. I don't blame the organizers of this event, but I think they should have had more experienced R.O.'s working the line. I also believe that they shouldn't allow small children to shoot a full auto firearm that isn't mounted  on something that won't allow the barrel to break the safety zone. If the father had his son shoot a 1917 Browning or one of the other tripod mounted guns this would have never happened.JMHO...

[tombogan03884]

TW is right about hindsight, but I have to agree with Majer. One thing that has bothered me since I first heard about this is that regardless of the Kid's age the tragedy could have been prevented had there been a Suppressor on the gun, the length of the can would have been enough that it would have hit him in the face instead of going under his chin.