May 26th 2006 · Prague Watchdog / Ruslan Isayev · PRINTER FRIENDLY
FORMAT · E-MAIL THIS · ALSO AVAILABLE IN: RUSSIAN
5-year-old boy shoots 6-year-old girl with pistol in Grozny
By Ruslan Isayev
GROZNY, Chechnya – A tragic incident occurred in the Chechen capital
yesterday (May 25). A policeman who dropped in at his home for a few
minutes left his car unlocked, and his 5-year-old son who was playing
in the yard got into it.
In the car the boy discovered his father's authorized pistol. He began
to boast in front of other children and point it at them. At some
stage the weapon was fired at a 6-year-old girl from a neighbouring
house. The girl died of her injuries on the spot.
An official investigation has been opened, and the policeman who left
his authorized weapon unattended has been taken into custody.
Although such cases are very rare in Chechnya, many note that the age
of children who know how to use firearms has dropped. It is not at all
uncommon for parents, especially officials of the law-enforcement
agencies, to teach their children how to handle a sub-machine gun and
pistol. There is one purpose - to protect the family in case of necessity.
This dangerous fashion was advertised by the case of a Chechen police
officer whose home was attacked by guerrillas. The policeman and his
eldest son were killed. His younger son, aged 13, picked up his
father's sub-machine gun and shot several of the attackers in cold
blood. The slain policeman was awarded the posthumous title of Hero of
Russia, and his surviving son was given a special enrolment in the
Suvorov Military College.
For a young teenager to be able to put up such resistance to grown-up
men with long experience of fighting would seem impossible. It turned
out that the policeman father very often gave his children shooting
lessons, training them in the rules of battle.
Translated by David McDuff.
FORMAT · E-MAIL THIS · ALSO AVAILABLE IN: RUSSIAN
5-year-old boy shoots 6-year-old girl with pistol in Grozny
By Ruslan Isayev
GROZNY, Chechnya – A tragic incident occurred in the Chechen capital
yesterday (May 25). A policeman who dropped in at his home for a few
minutes left his car unlocked, and his 5-year-old son who was playing
in the yard got into it.
In the car the boy discovered his father's authorized pistol. He began
to boast in front of other children and point it at them. At some
stage the weapon was fired at a 6-year-old girl from a neighbouring
house. The girl died of her injuries on the spot.
An official investigation has been opened, and the policeman who left
his authorized weapon unattended has been taken into custody.
Although such cases are very rare in Chechnya, many note that the age
of children who know how to use firearms has dropped. It is not at all
uncommon for parents, especially officials of the law-enforcement
agencies, to teach their children how to handle a sub-machine gun and
pistol. There is one purpose - to protect the family in case of necessity.
This dangerous fashion was advertised by the case of a Chechen police
officer whose home was attacked by guerrillas. The policeman and his
eldest son were killed. His younger son, aged 13, picked up his
father's sub-machine gun and shot several of the attackers in cold
blood. The slain policeman was awarded the posthumous title of Hero of
Russia, and his surviving son was given a special enrolment in the
Suvorov Military College.
For a young teenager to be able to put up such resistance to grown-up
men with long experience of fighting would seem impossible. It turned
out that the policeman father very often gave his children shooting
lessons, training them in the rules of battle.
Translated by David McDuff.
Comment