These images show the seconds before a nine-year girl accidentally shot her gun instructor dead on Monday.
Recorded
at the Bullets and Burgers shooting range in White Hills, Arizona, the
edited 22-second clip plays up to the point where the girl loses control
of an Uzi, striking 39-year-old Charles Vacca.
The
shocking recording taken by the girl's parents and released by police
shows Vacca standing closely next to the girl when the gun recoiled as
she fired on full automatic mode.
As
the clip unfolds, Vacca is seen to instruct the girl to hold the weapon
with two hands at all times and to take a perpendicular stance to the
target.
Then Vacca asks her to fire one shot for him, which she does.
Then,
Vacca tells the girl to adjust her stance and squeeze the trigger to
let off a volley, but something goes wrong when she fires a second time.
His last words to the girl are: 'Alright, full auto.'
Vacca was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he died of his injuries around 9pm on Monday. An autopsy will now be carried out.
The girl loses her two-handed grip on the weapon and it pulls to her left, striking Vacca in the head.
Charles
Vacca, a father and veteran from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was
airlifted to hospital on Monday morning after the little girl shot him but died that evening.
Mohave County Sheriff Jim McCabe said the full video of the incident was 'ghastly
He said that the girl had successfully fired the weapon several times before when it was set on 'single shot' mode.
However,
the horrific accident unfolded in a split second when the Israeli made
weapon was set to 'full-automatic mode' and caused Vacca his fatal
injuries.
The guy just dropped,' McCabe said of Vacca, who suffered more than one gunshot to the head.
McCabe
told the Las Vegas Review Journal that no charges will be filed because
Bullets and Burgers is licensed and legal as an operation.
Killed: Charles Vacca, pictured right, was
accidentally shot in the head on Monday as he helped a nine-year-old
girl handle a submachine gun at an Arizona shooting range. He passed
away on Monday night
'It's
so easy for us to go back and look at something that's very tragic and
say, 'Boy! Why did that occur? That should not have happened because
of,'' said McCabe to Fox News.
'Well, maybe from now on, that 'because of' will be in place.'
A spokeswoman with Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said they were shocked by the shooting.
'This is a rarity for something like this to happen,' the spokeswoman said to the LA Times.
Vacca was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he died of his injuries around 9pm on Monday. An autopsy will now be carried out.
The
nine-year-old girl, who has not been identified, was not injured. She
was with her parents as they passed through the area on vacation from New Jersey.
The range operator at Bullets and Burgers told KLAS-TV he was shocked by the incident.
Veteran: Vacca, a staff sergeant, is pictured right with his best friend Robert Vera when they served
'We
really don't know what happened. Our guys are trained to basically hover
over people when they're shooting. If they're shooting right-handed, we
have our right-hand behind them ready to push the weapon out of the
way. And if they're left-handed, the same thing,' operator Sam Scarmardo
said.
Social
media was incredulous about the tragic accident, with most people
posting comments as to why a nine-year-old was allowed to fire an
automatic weapon.
Liz
Matthews of the John Clayton Show on 710 ESPN in Seattle said, 'A story
involving a nine-year-old shooting an UZI at a place called Burgers and
Bullets would have been appalling enough. Horrifying.'
Nikki Bateman simply asked, 'why you'd even let a nine year old handle a gun in the first place?!'
Cameron Atfield directed his anger at the parents stating he 'hoped the parents are charged.'
Friends
paid tribute to Vacca, an army veteran and a married father, as a great
friend and soldier on Facebook. Best friend Robert Vera said they often
laughed so much that they couldn't breathe.
'He became a brother and a major part of my life through thick and thin,' Vera said. 'Rest In Peace brother.'
Loss: Friends paid tribute to Vacca as a great friend, soldier and father who was always smiling
Another
friend added: 'A Soldier, a father, a mentor and a friend. SSG Charles
Vacca will always be remembered with a smile and admiration.'
The
incident occurred at the Arizona Last Stop, which is about 25 miles
south of Las Vegas, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office told AZFamily. It is home to a shooting range, Bullets and Burgers.
'Our
guests have the opportunity to fire a wide range of fully automatic
machine guns and specialty weapons,' its website states. 'At our range,
you can shoot FULL auto on our machine guns. Let 'em Rip!'
When
contacted by MailOnline, staff at Bullets and Burgers would not comment
on the incident and referred questions to a nearby gun emporium, but
would not say whether or not they were affiliated.
Arizona
gun laws require a person to be at least 18 years old to carry a
firearm, but the laws do not apply on private property or if the minor
is accompanied by a parent or a certified instructor.
Promotion: Bullets and Burgers proudly
advertises their offer of a cheeseburger and the choice of 20 automatic
weapons to fire at the Nevada range
Weapon: The girl was using an Uzi (file picture) when the recoil send the gun over her head, shooting Vacca
Scene: The tragedy unfolded at Bullets and Burgers, an activity center 25 miles south of Las Vegas
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