Comments on: Utah High School Student Dies After Being Shot With Blank Prop Gun

By: The Curse of the Queen of Scots: Actor Mistakingly Slits His Own Throat With Use of Real Knife in Play « JONATHAN TURLEY

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:36:25 +0000

[...] There are a surprising number of accidents with prop weapons, particularly guns, click here. [...]

By: Cranky Daze

Cranky Daze — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:23:34 +0000

My son pulled the same dumb stunt when he was in high school. Appearing in a play that included a scene with a gun, and being the smart-aleck that he was at age 17, he picked up a prop gun and, probably to entertain his friends, put it to his head and pulled the trigger.

Fortunately, he held the gun at such an angle that the blast did no other damage than remove a swath of hair, and left a red trail along the side of his head. Proving to this somewhat astonished parent that even smart kids can do some really dumb things.

By: steadycat

steadycat — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:21:59 +0000

I would imagine that the youth would have assumed that the prop gun was not dangerous BECAUSE the adults in charge deemed that it was safe enough for them to use, play with, whatever. Why would anyonne expect a student to second guess what the staff/school had decided was appropriate for school?

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:10:03 +0000

As an aside, don’t forget that paint guns can kill at close range.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:08:43 +0000

I remember a “beefcake but dumb as a rock” type actor killing himself with a prop gun in the early 80s. He was on the set, was joking around and put the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger even as people were yelling at him to stop. He was probably thinking “good one!” at the panicked reaction to his actions, not realizing that they might know just a little bit more than him.

On this specific case — the kid was 17 (minor), but in Utah there’s a good chance he’s been exposed to gun safety training over the years. He should have definitely been given gun safety training early and often during rehearsals. He would probably face charges as an adult if he killed somebody during the commission of a felony. It’s tragic, but given all of that I can’t see anyone but the school, maybe, being on the hook.

By: Sally

Sally — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:09:02 +0000

“Far as product liability goes; I don’t buy it. Pure assumption of the risk; you’re never supposed to hold the barrel of a gun (capable of firing real bullets or blanks) at anything you’re not prepared to destroy.”

I couldn’t agree more, Bob!! Very well said, the kid is old enough to know better

By: Bob, Esq.

Bob, Esq. — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:29:57 +0000

Odd. I remember when Freddie Prinze killed himself and there was initially some talk that he used a prop gun; that he never intended to kill himself. And for some reason I never forgot the side interviews with gun experts who said that a prop gun could have killed him if that was what he used.

Far as product liability goes; I don’t buy it. Pure assumption of the risk; you’re never supposed to hold the barrel of a gun (capable of firing real bullets or blanks) at anything you’re not prepared to destroy.