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

In St. George, Utah, a 17-year-old student at Washington County high school died after firing a blank-shooting prop pistol used in the performance of the Oklahoma! musical. Police stated that the gas from the prop can have the same energy as a bullet, which would seem to raise some obvious negligence and product liability issues.

The fired the weapon in the sound booth and was alone at the time.

Prop guns periodically come up in mistaken police shooting, as with the actor here. Indeed, recently police came to this high school after reports of seeing a person carrying a weapon. It turned out to be an actor with the prop gun.

There are a surprising number of actual guns which are mistakenly loaded with real bullets in accidents, as here.

It would seem to be negligent to use a prop that can harm minors in such a performance. Moreover, it would appear easy to acquire a fake gun without a dangerous gas discharge.

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