Girl of nine with Uzi shoots gun instructor dead

A nine-year-old girl has accidentally shot dead an instructor who was teaching her how to fire an Uzi submachine gun at a shooting range in Arizona.

The death of Charles Vacca will prompt further calls for gun control in the US, says the Daily Telegraph.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the unnamed girl was visiting the Last Stop outdoor shooting range in White Hills on Monday when the Uzi gun, similar to the one pictured above, recoiled as she pulled the trigger. Vacca was hit at least once in the head.

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The instructor was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital where he was pronounced dead. A video showing the incident, with the fatal shots removed, has been released, apparently filmed on a mobile phone by the child's parents.

The film shows the instructor close behind the child, a slight girl with a ponytail, showing her how to aim and fire the submachine gun. She fires several single shots before Vacca adjusts the gun to automatic mode.

The recoil from the subsequent burst of rapid fire lifts the child's arm above her head, killing Vacca. His final words, captured in the film, are: "Alright, full auto!"

It is illegal for children under the age of 18 to carry a gun in Arizona – but the law does not apply on private property or if the child is accompanied by a parent or certified instructor.

The Last Stop range's manager, Sam Scarmardo, told NBC News "the establish[ed] practice at most shooting ranges is eight years old and up, with parental supervision".

According to the range's website, visitors can take part in a 'Burgers and Bullets' day, shooting a choice of more than 20 automatic guns and enjoying an inclusive lunch, says the Telegraph.