The organization that oversees workplace safety has launched an investigation into the accidental killing of an Arizona firing-range instructor at the hands of a 9 -ear-old girl.
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or ADOSH, which has authority for most workplace safety issues under an agreement with the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, will review the shooting of Charles Vacca, who was killed this week while instructing a young girl how to fire an Uzi. Vacca was killed by a single shot to the head when the girl, who has not been identified, pulled the trigger after the gun lurched over her head. The case has raised questions about whether it is wise — or even legal — for young children to handle powerful firearm, even while supervised.
A spokeswoman for ADOSH, Rachel Brockway, told NBC News that while there are no specific workplace rules or standards in Arizona that apply to the case, Bullets and Burgers, the range where the incident took place, still must meet a general standard, which includes "meeting general safety and health expectations and providing a workplace free from hazards."
While that last criterion may seem at odds with a gun range, Brockway said the investigation, which could take up to six months, would include an examination of "firing range industry standards and practices, both within the state of Arizona and nationally."
ADOSH does not have the authority to revoke the license of Burgers and Bullets should it determine that the proper standards were not met. It can only issue a citation or, if it finds no safety violations, close the case.
IN-DEPTH
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SOCIAL
— John Baiata
