After shooting range death, area gun ranges set own requirements on agere
By Teddy Kulmala, Aiken Standard, S.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The incident happened Monday at a shooting range in
Vacca was airlifted to
Authorities have said the girl was at the shooting range with her parents. It is not known if the range had an age limit on shooting or if the girl was going through a safety class.
There are no laws regulating the age of children allowed into a shooting range, according to
"Most everything is driven by the insurance companies. We pretty much make our own policy," he said. "It should be a parent's decision when they decide a child is mature enough. They have a good idea of the maturity of their child."
At The Gun Rack, children must be at least 12 years old to shoot at the indoor range, and they must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian.
Scott said they've had 12-year-olds shoot handguns and rifles under the supervision of a parent and an instructor, and they never shoot with fully-loaded magazines.
"They're able to get the gun out of the way if it moves in the wrong direction," Scott said of the supervising adults.
At
"They can't come in here unless they're with their parents," he said. "An older brother can't bring his 6-year-old brother in here."
Fryant said that once a child is 16, he or she can enter the gun range with any adult family member as long as that family member is at least 21 years old.
In the
Scott and Fryant said automatic weapons are not allowed on their ranges; and, when children wish to use a rented gun, they suggest smaller weapons.
Additionally, special licensing is required to be able to operate an automatic weapon on a range.
"They're always under adult supervision back there," Fryant said. "Never do we put a big gun in a kid's hands."
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