Things to Do
Things to Do

What’s the right age for kids to go to the shooting range?

By Gracie Bonds Staples
Aug 28, 2014

By now we’ve all heard about the 9-year-old girl accidentally killing her instructor at a shooting range when the weapon recoiled over her shoulder.  According to Arizona authorities, the instructor, 39-year-old Charles Vacca, died at a hospital Monday night after being shot with a submachine gun he was teaching the girl to fire.

The website of Bullets and Burgers, the shooting range where the accident happened, says children between the ages of 8 and 17 can shoot a weapon if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Some folk are saying this is perfectly fine since the girl was with her parents. But this seems way over the top for me.

I’d be interested in hearing what you guys think. Is it really OK for kids 8 to 17 to shoot a weapon if they’re parents are with them? If not, what is the appropriate age?

About the Author

Gracie Bonds Staples is a freelance writer for AJC.

More Stories

Keep Reading

Blooper celebrates the Atlanta Brave’s 5-0 win over the New York Mets during a MLB game Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at Truist Park. This year, the venue is a first-time host of the MLB All-Star game. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado for the AJC

Coming to Atlanta for MLB All-Star week? There’s fun outside Truist Park too.

Events happening around the city include the Capital One All-Star Village, MLB draft watch party and the All-Star 4.4 Miler.

Saddle up for these Beyoncé-themed pop-up bars, brunches and shows in Atlanta

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour is coming to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium for shows Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend

From MLB All-Star Game festivities and a WWE Saturday Night Main Event to Run Santa Run and Goat Yoga, here are 15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend.

The Latest

Strike a yoga pose with a friendly dwarf goat at the Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center on Saturday. (Courtesy of the Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau

15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend

Between Beyoncé shows, Atlanta’s creatives take the stage

Saddle up for these Beyoncé-themed pop-up bars, brunches and shows in Atlanta

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia disability rights advocates fear weakening of U.S. accessibility law

Advocates worry the Department of Energy’s move could be the start of a broader effort by other federal agencies to roll back civil rights rules.

From boycott to ballgame: Baseball’s political All-Star Game saga returns to Georgia

MLB pulled the 2021 All-Star Game from Georgia over the state's voting law, Senate Bill 202. Now it’s back — and Republicans say the return proves they were right all along.

OPINION

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

Preparations for the show pushed people out of their comfort zones — into new stores, new communities, a new style of dress, and in some cases, to visit new cities.