A nine year-old girl in the US has killed her shooting instructor by accident while being shown how to use a high-powered submachine gun.
The instructor was giving the girl a lesson at a shooting range in Arizona when the recoil from the automatic fire caused her to lose control of the Uzi.
Charles Vacca, 39, was shot in the head and died after being airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas.
The girl was at the shooting range with her parents, who filmed the lesson.
![The girl's shooting lesson was filmed by her parents on a mobile phone [photo credit: BBC]](https://www.thetrentonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Arizona-The-Trent.jpg)
The Uzi then appears to be switched to automatic as the girl pulls the trigger and loses her grip of the weapon.
The video, edited and released by the Mojave County Sheriff’s office, ends abruptly before the instructor is shot.
Correspondents say it is common in parts of the US for children to be taught how to use firearms.
Many firing ranges have strict safety rules on instructing children. It is not clear what age limits the range has.
![An UZI submachine gun [photo credit: BBC]](https://www.thetrentonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/UZI-the-trent.jpg)
- Submachine gun designed in 1950s for Israel’s army
- Exported to many countries and used in many conflicts
- Capable of automatic or semi-automatic fire
- Standard rate of fire 600 rounds per minute
