Some Georgians may have heard about the Arizona gun instructor who was killed when a 9-year-old girl accidentally shot him with an Uzi. According to sources, the instructor’s family has now filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the gun range where the accident happened.
From the beginning, the family has stated that they blame the gun range, called Bullets and Burgers, and not the young girl. They have claimed that they view her as a victim as well. The family is alleging that the gun range was negligent in allowing a 9-year-old to hold and fire an Uzi.
The accident happened in August 2014 when the young girl fired the gun while the instructor stood next to her. When she fired, the gun recoiled, sending a stray bullet into the instructor’s head. The 39-year-old man was flown to a hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries. Since the incident, the instructor’s family has actively petitioned to change the laws regarding the use of assault weapons by children. The accident that happened to their loved one has inspired a bill that would create a 15 and older age limit for people to fire assault rifles at gun ranges.
The family’s lawsuit is based in an area of tort law called premises liability. Under this area, property owners may be held liable when people are seriously injured or killed by existing hazards that the property owners knew or should have known about. People who are injured while they are lawfully on the premises of a business may want to consult with a personal injury attorney who accepts premises liability cases.
Source: ABC News, “Family of gun instructor slain by 9-yr-old firing Uzi files wrongful death suit,” Sabina Ghebremedhin, Aug. 26, 2016.