15 Year Old Firing Line Officer: Father of Christopher Bizilj wanted sons to shoot "full automatic"

[RamboLiberal]

SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Charles Bizilj wanted his sons to shoot "full automatic," said the teenager who stood at Christopher Bizilj's side as the 8-year-old squeezed the trigger on a Micro Uzi submachine gun.

Michael Spano, who was 15 at the time of the accident, testified this morning at the trial of former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury. Fleury is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Christopher's fatal, accidental shooting at a 2008 machine gun expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club.

Spano told the jury in Hampden Superior Court that Christopher's 11-year-old brother Colin had been firing a full-size Uzi. When that weapon malfunctioned, Spano presented the Bizilj's with a similar weapon -- the Micro Uzi. But, Spano testified, he warned the Bizilj party that the Micro Uzi "kicks hard and shoots fast."

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Rosemary Curran Scapicchio asked Spano if Dr. Bizilj approved of his sons' use of the Micro Uzi because "he wanted them to have the experience of a fully automatic firearm." Spano said Scapicchio's description was accurate.

Spano -- who told the jury he did not have a license to possess machine guns and was not an instructor -- said he was serving as a line officer at the shoot with the approval of Fleury and his father, Domenico Spano. Michael Spano testified that Fleury wanted him "running people through the line" to avoid back-ups during the event.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/michael_spano_father_of_christ.html

I still say the father should've been charged with negliegence. From testimony I have read he was not exactly a stranger to firearms and should've known this was not a gun to let an 8 year old shoot! But then even though I am an gun owner IMHO these public machine gun shoots should be restricted to adults only or at least a reasonable age of 15-16 with hand held automatic weapons.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. The video of the kid is enough

the mini looked enormous in his hands... and yes it has a kick... no kid should be allowed to fire a full auto... but hey... there are times that parents get really stoopid. In this case with tragic results

[hlthe2b]

2. He'll be unofficially tried by the defense....

and found guilty in the court of public opinion. I'm fairly certain that, along with his own guilt, will prove to be quite a difficult "sentence" for him to bear.

[rgbecker]

3. 15 year old "presenting" fully automatic weapon to 8 year old.

America, you gotta love our freedoms.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Imagine this scenario: Willow handing a fully automatic to Piper with their mother's approval.

Kids shouldn't be allowed to handle firearms except in the appropriate venue with full supervision. And automatic weapons should be off the table for anyone under 18 and those over 18 w/o training.

[stray cat]

4. The 11 year old was fine with the larger uzi but the smaller size was harder to handle

[surrealAmerican]

6. Who left the 15-year-old in charge of this decision?

Given the circumstances, I'm not surprised that he deferred to the parent's judgment, but an adult should have been making that call. An adult would have been more able to tell the father "no".

[immoderate]

7. Fifteen year olds do not know they're not adults. Most of them.

In over his head.


--imm