training accident... Any info?

[rkt88edmo]

edited title to remove the word fatal.

[badicedog]

Roger...

[Corbin Dallas]

@badicedog

Although I do not agree that students should wear armor this seems like a good idea after the fact.

A better idea would be to follow the four basic firearm safety rules (#4 comes to mind) and to account for all your students before running a COF.

[The Virus]

You don't think wearing armor for cqb shoot house classes should be required?
Please explain

[badicedog]

@ CorbinDallas... All reputable instructors would not accept students that do not have advanced firearms training under their belts for an advanced class like this(CQB/room clearing). Further, they will also require that students not only have Armor vests/carriers, also blow out kits(clotting agents/tourniquet). The idiot at hand failed to follow the safety measures/guidelines set forth as to minimize these type of accidents from occurring in the first place...

[Bobby Hated]

this is clearly a case of people being too comfortable at the range and getting lazy about clearing and counting everyone before each run.

two rifle rounds to the stomache is a serious injury. hopefully the rounds missed his liver and kidneys and he has enough intestines left that hes gonna be able to digest his food properly after he heals up.

[Outta Control]

this is clearly a case of people being too comfortable at the range and getting lazy about clearing and counting everyone before each run.

two rifle rounds to the stomache is a serious injury. hopefully the rounds missed his liver and kidneys and he has enough intestines left that hes gonna be able to digest his food properly after he heals up.

I agree thus why most CQB training courses that I have seen requires full armor with ballistic helmet. Anyways I also read that the rounds were actually 9mm not rifle rounds.

[emelioosluper]

this is clearly a case of people being too comfortable at the range and getting lazy about clearing and counting everyone before each run.

Not to mention the bonehead fired all 3 shots without identifying the target.

More here... http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/138...oothouse_.html

[Ironchef]

The good news is, he won't be doing this active shooter class next year. Or if he is, he won't have many students.

https://www.facebook.com/events/509236312439004/

[Outta Control]

Not going to cast judgement on Sonny P but from what I understand he has no experience nor should be teaching any CQB techniques. Also I've heard he only took a CQB course from another trainer and after the course completion decided to incorporate to his course. It is like taking a martial arts seminar then after the course decide to charge people and train them as an expert. Bad JuJu right there.

[Ironchef]

Not going to cast judgement on Sonny P but from what I understand he has no experience nor should be teaching any CQB techniques. Also I've heard he only took a CQB course from another trainer and after the course completion decided to incorporate to his course. It is like taking a martial arts seminar then after the course decide to charge people and train them as an expert. Bad JuJu right there.

lol, you just did cast judgment, and rightly so. He's apparently Spetznaz, but that has yet to be verified - and quite honestly doesn't mean jack. I believe he had The LAV train and endorse him...which means little. He's got that Panteo video which created a lot prophetic warnings of danger because he had a segment in the trailer demonstrating how someone got out of a gunfight using an AK across his arm and shooting blindly while engaging with a handgun in front of him. Heck, even Travis Haley and his comrades chided all the "piss-ants" who trashed Sonny. Looks like the piss-ants were right.

Then there's that old AAR from about 9 months ago illustrating the very, very negligent and dangerous environment that range and it's administrator are (the victim) and it's no wonder he got shot.

The good in all this is people from the shooting community who want the latest and greatest ninjafied training money can offer might actually take some caution when going and after hopefully vetting their trainers. And hopefully Sonny will go back home to mother Russia. But first I'd like to give him an NRA pistol course to teach him basic firearms safety rules!

[SuperSet]

Then there's that old AAR from about 9 months ago illustrating the very, very negligent and dangerous environment that range and it's administrator are (the victim) and it's no wonder he got shot.

Can you provide a link or details, as I haven't heard?

Hopefully, all the accident details can go public so the entire training community can benefit from its lessons learned.

[acegunnr]

More info:


Hello,



I am also the owner of the TDSA gun range, founded in 1995, located just outside the city of Ferris, Texas.

As many of you have already heard there was a tragic (non-fatal) accidental shooting at my range on Sunday, Nov. 4th 2012.

I have intentionally not commented on this incident for several reasons. I do not know if that decision has been a mistake or commenting now is the mistake.

I was not present when the incident occurred. I had just left the range. As range owner, Sonny Puzikas gave me his account of what happened. So in the interest of correcting the inaccurate information I will tell you his account and I will follow it up with my personal comments.

Just a short lead in for everyone to understand how it got to this point;

Sonny is a range member of TDSA. He asked to rent a portion of the TDSA range for a two-day class. He expected a large number of students and he advised he had one main assistant instructor, Maxim Franz, and several other assist instructors. I estimated there to be two to four extra assistant instructors. But I am ONLY estimating that number.
The first day was static type shooting, which I observed while I was doing my other range owner duties. Other then YELLING at a few students for forgetting to wear their glasses I personally observed no safety issues. The second day was going to be using a section of the range we call the city. The city is a 200-yard long live fire area with multiple ballistic rooms. Due to heavy rains Saturday night that section of the range was not usable so I built a three room shoot house for them in the front of the range. I closed down the range so the class would not have to worry about regular range members getting in their way.

Skipping back to day two. After building the three room shoot house that morning, several hours past. I later observed Maxim conducting exactly what they had previously described. Maxim appeared to have half the class and was teaching them how to maneuver through the shoot house with unloaded guns. I DID OBSERVE GENE (Asst. Instructor that was shot) in the room with the class while Maxim was conducting the training.




AND HERE IS WHAT SONNY SAID TO ME:




Points to emphasize:

*Gene was shot with the first three rounds fired. SO, he had NO warning and could not have yelled out or done anything once rounds started being fired.

*Gene was NOT in the second room, but instead in the first room.

*Sonny was not doing a failure drill and was not aiming at a head shot of a paper target or of course a person.

*Sonny, did announce his intent to shoot in the shoot house, and believed he was being given clearance to enter.





*Very qualified medics, including a former Special Forces 18D Medic (now currently a Doctor in Private Practice) and an Army Medic with recent combat experience were ON scene during the class and treated Gene within minutes of the incident.

Under the heading of potential bias in writing this:


BUT !! That being said, I personally saw people in this class that I knew with the following backgrounds: USPSA Master Class shooter, Former US Special Forces Medic (yep, the Doc!) and a recent former 82ndAirborne soldier.
SO, before you totally dismiss this Class or Type of Class or Sonny for that matter. There is a obvious segment of good Americans that think enough of it/him to pay good money to travel along way and take this/his training.






Just think about how many other ranges have a 40 ft. shooting tower, live fire street, live fire 200 yard city capable of 50 BMG. I think they are all very cool stuff but as proven even an experienced instructor made a small mistake that had grave consequences resulting in a life threatening injury.
To my Texas Defensive Shooting Academy Instructors, thank you for your discretion and professionalism in this matter. Your restraint shows character. I am proud to have you as instructors and friends. We have made a true difference in many lives: civilian, law enforcement and most recently military.

In closing, I wish Gene Smithson a quick and successful full recovery.
Furthermore, I hope the friendship Gene and Sonny have will not be torn apart but instead strengthened in this very difficult time. Remember, what makes a man is not what happens to him, but how he responds to what happens to him. So can be said for a friendship.

Len Baxley
Founder TDSA
www.tdsa.net
972-217-1182

[.45ACP]

Why does this not surprise me.

[Ironchef]

Ok, so he goes in, firing at 3 different targets with 3 or 4 each, then out of the room. He had to be told he shot someone, at the first of his 3 targets, before he realized he shot someone. So yeah, it was friggen dark and this nimrod is just shooting for fun based on his memory of the room. Un-friggen-believable.