Criminal Charges in Death of Boy Who Shot Himself at Gun Show

Christopher Bizilj was testing a 9 mm Micro Uzi at the Westfield Sportsman's Club in Westfield, Mass., as part of the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo, when he accidently shot himself.

(ABC/AP Photo)

Still More Questions

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners' Action League, which advocates for gun owners' rights in Massachusetts, said it was difficult for him to comment on the indictments because "we still don't' know what happened."

Wallace said it's still unclear to him under exactly what circumstances Christopher was shot and who was standing where.

"If things were done wrong, we will certainly be one of the first ones in line to say, 'What the hell were you thinking," he said today. "It's going to be interesting to see what the charges are based on."

Massachusetts law allows a child to fire a gun with parental consent, so long as there's an active permit for the gun and a licensed firearm instructor is supervising. It is unclear whether the gun had a permit or whether the instructor was licensed, but Nunez said Christopher's father was nearby.

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But according to Ted Oven, a gun retailer and president of the Massachusetts Association of Firearms Dealers, Christopher should have never been allowed to handle a submachine gun on his own.

Oven, who spoke to ABCNews.com shortly after Christopher's death, has shot similar weapons and said the recoil is tough to control even for an adult.

"It requires all my strength," said Oven, who added that he did not have much experience with the Micro Uzi. "For an 8-year-old, it was inappropriate."

The Micro Uzi, he said, is a tough gun to get a permit for and retails for several thousand dollars. He was not at the expo when Christopher was shot but said that because the gun is fully automatic, it likely shot off several rounds in a couple of seconds when the boy pulled the trigger.