Negligent discharge during a class

[YVK]

Hard to place this one in a specific sub-forum, left to discretion of moderators.

http://soldiersystems.net/2012/11/08...ful-out-there/

http://www.ar-15.co/threads/70875-Instructor-shoots-AI

Many things can be said. My own prospective, as a student: never rely on others being safe. Vet your instructors. Watch what everybody does, and be alert. I bought individual body armor after my third carbine class. I wear it 100% during low light/no light classes, about between 66 and 100% during rifle classes depending on my perception of class safety, and occasionally during pistol classes.

[shootist26]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=641665

It happened during a shoot house portion, Gene and a student was doing an AAR after a run in the house. Sonny Puzikas enters first room engages targets (no lights). Gene and student did not positively ID their presence in the second room, Sonny goes into room two, engages target with failure drill with Gene standing in front of that target and the student nearby. Two to abdomen, one to the arm. Sonny shooting under no light at a target he previously set up. But the problem compounded when Sonny did not account for all people in the class, the people in the shoot house upon hearing the shots, did not ID their presence, and shooting in low light with out a light to ID target.......sigh

[rudy99]

Here is a link to a news snippet from the ar-15.co link above:

Details on a Sunday night accidental shooting at a Ferris-area gun range remain scarce. Dallas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carmen Castro said deputies responded to a call of a shooting at the Texas Defensive Shooting Academy shooting range on Wolf Spring Road oustside Ferris.
Castro said an instructor in the “close combat class” was accidentally shot by another instructor, leaving him with two wounds in the left shoulder and one in the hip.

Apparently this happened at TDSA. I used to be a member out there and what they call a shoot house out there is actually at best a house frame with cloth walls.

[Vinh]

The friendly fire doesn't even bother me. What disturbs me is that the instructor got sucked into Black Ops mode during class time.

[TGS]

The friendly fire doesn't even bother me. What disturbs me is that the instructor got sucked into Black Ops mode during class time.

I remember a couple months ago there was a video of said instructor doing all sorts of crazy Matrix looking gun work with a pistol and AK.

Hmm.

[JodyH]

Wow!
This should get interesting very fast.

Accounting for every man, woman, child and dog on the range is rule #1 for low light live fire.
When I RO low light matches, we have a defined spectator area, myself and the scorer do multiple visual checks downrange, I do a loud "Going hot!" announcement and only then do we load up and start the stage.

The instructor not accounting for everyone on the range prior to going hot is bad.
The AI and student not clearing "downrange" ASAP and conducting the AAR in a defined safe area is also a bad idea.
That's all before we even get into target identification.

[JSGlock34]

Classic.

http://www.theakforum.net/phpBB3/vie...?f=74&t=187359

42 students? Seems awfully unwieldy student/instructor ratio.

[TGS]

Classic.

http://www.theakforum.net/phpBB3/vie...?f=74&t=187359

42 students? Seems awfully unwieldy student/instructor ratio.

Well, from that it sounds like they were being led through the shootout by the instructor one at a time, and probably explains why the course ran late. No mention if there were other AIs as well.

But, yeah, 42 does seem a bit large.

ETA: actually, right at the top it says "with Sonny Puzikas and Maxim Franz." So, possibly 3 instructors total? 42 isn't extraordinary for 3 instructors. We had 16+ people in my ShivWorks ECQC class, if I'm remembering correctly.

[JSGlock34]

Seems like 42 is going to make a safety headcount a bit challenging, but I haven't seen any indication that this was a factor in the incident. Details are sparse.

Nevertheless, I've learned the most in courses with very low student-instructor ratios. Todd's AFHS is capped at eight students, and Ernest Langdon's Advanced Pistol had a total of nine students. Not sure how an instructor even learns your name when you have 42 folks cycling through.

ETA: I'll add that I've seen the most questionable range safety in larger enrollment courses, especially in the 'admin area'. The greater the span of control, the harder it is for the instructors to enforce standards.

[zacbol]

Some really bad decision making at multiple levels. I'm not defending the guy, but at least he's not making excuses. Doesn't make up for it, but at least it speaks to his character.

In light of what happened this past Sunday night.
Due to assumptions and not taking all steps I could have taken that may have prevented the tragedy, my good friend and amazing human being Gene Smithson was severely injured during a live fire training.
Gene is in the hospital in Dallas recovering from his injuries. All I ask for is for your prayers and support for Gene during this trying time and then during lenghty recovery process.
All responsibility for what happened lies with me and nobody else. I will do my best to support Gene and his loved ones, his school for as long as needed.
Sonny Puzikas