New Jersey Girl With Uzi Accidentally Kills Arizona Shooting Range Instructor: Authorities

A 9-year-old girl from New Jersey accidentally killed an Arizona shooting instructor as he was showing her how to use an automatic Uzi, authorities said Tuesday.

Charles Vacca, 39, of Lake Havasu City, died Monday shortly after being airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Mohave County sheriff's officials said.

Vacca was standing next to the girl at the Last Stop outdoor shooting range in White Hills when she pulled the trigger and the recoil sent the gun over her head, investigators said.

Authorities said the girl was at the shooting range with her parents. Her name was not released.

Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Trish Carter told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the family was vacationing from New Jersey. The family's hometown is not clear.

A woman who answered the phone at the shooting range said it had no comment. She did not provide her name.

It is not known if the range had an age limit on shooting or if the girl was going through a safety class.

Ronald Scott, a Phoenix-based firearms safety expert, said most shooting ranges have an age limit and strict safety rules when teaching children to shoot. He said instructors usually have their hands on guns when children are firing high-powered weapons.

"You can't give a 9-year-old an Uzi and expect her to control it," Scott said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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