Family sues over boy’s gun show death
Published: November 9, 2009
Updated: November 9, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—The family of an 8-year-old boy who fatally shot himself at a gun show in western Massachusetts say the Uzi submachine gun jammed twice before he lost control of the weapon and fired into his head.
The family of Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn. says in a civil lawsuit filed Friday that a 15-year-old instructor who cleared the gun and handed it back to the victim failed to provide proper guidance.
The lawsuit targets owners of a gun club where the fair was held, promoters of the event and those who supplied the weapon and ammunition. They could not be reached for comment after business hours Monday.
Bizilj shot himself at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club in October 2008.
His family claims that the Uzi was defective and unreasonably dangerous. They blame failure to properly service it.
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Reader Reactions
I am all about guns, love em. But who in their right mind gives their 8yr old a full auto gun under the supervision of a 15yr old boy. To me the parent is 50% at fault, and the facility is the other 50%
I am sorry for their loss but Dad was there ?? now they want money. Remember money won’t bring your son back. accidents happen but careless mess on the part of Dad is another thing. Use your heads.
the father is an idiot. but hey he’s serving a life sentence (so to speak). Everything is always a law suit.
yup…im with the rest of the posters here…this is a very unfortunate case, however the father should never have let an 8 year old boy hold an ozi in the first place! Stupidity kills, just like speed kills!!
I agree with all the prior posts. What kind of world do we live in to let 8 yr olds fire submachine guns? Also allowing 15 yr old to serve as instructor? Both the gun club and the father acted negligently.
GUNS DO NOT BELONG IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN!!!
This boy died an unnecessary death, one that could have been easily prevented. Any parent with an ounce of intelligence should know that there is a huge risk invovled in having your child use a gun. When your child dies as a result of a self-inflicted gun shot wound because you not only allow but encourage him to use a gun it is not right to blame everyone else for it and try to make a profit off of his death.
I sincerely hope that other parents learn from this sad but avoidable tragedy. Do not allow your children to play with guns. It’s not necessary and it could save their life.
I am sorry this family lost their child. I do not believe they have a case. The father took the boy to the show, even after the gun jammed twice he allowed a 15 year old minor to teach this boy. I do no understand suing Money is never going to bring your child back. The only thing I can think is the parents will live the high life off the death of their child. This should not be in some cases.
I think that any parent who allows their 8 year old to shoot a dang UZI under the GUIDANCE(?) of a 15 year old is defective and unreasonably dangerous.
Very sad for that child indeed.
Just what the heck is going on here? I thought the father took the boy to the gun show and encouraged him to try his hand at firing different guns. Now they’re going to do an about face???
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