Family of Arizona Instructor Killed by Girl with Uzi Sues Gun Range

The family of an Arizona shooting range instructor accidentally killed by a 9-year-old girl with an Uzi has sued the business, alleging it should not have allowed a child to use the high-powered weapon.

The wrongful-death lawsuit seeks a jury trial in Mohave County Superior Court to determine damages for Charles Vacca’s widow and three children, as well as his ex-wife and mother.

It claims the Nevada-based owners and operators of the Last Stop shooting range in White Hills were negligent in Vacca’s death in 2014. The filing says an Uzi was not a safe or appropriate weapon to entrust to a young girl and caused her to lose control of it.

The shooting led to a debate over youngsters and guns, with many people wondering why parents would let a child handle a submachine gun. The range’s owner previously said the parents had signed waivers saying they understood the rules and were standing nearby. Prosecutors declined to file charges.

Vacca showed the girl how to fire the gun, showed her a shooting stance and helped her fire a few rounds, according to police reports.

He then stepped back and let her fire the gun, and its recoil wrenched it upward, killing Vacca with a shot to the head.