A man how was paralysed when he was seven years old after being shot has died at the age of 29.
While recovering from being accidentally shot in the chin and spine by his babysitter in 1994, Brandon Maxfield asked for guns to be destroyed instead of taking £2.4million in compensation.
The shooting left him paralysed from the neck down and hooked up to a ventilator every night.
In 2003, he sued the gun manufacturer, Bryco Arms, and won $24 million (£20 million) in compensation in a landmark ruling.
But the company’s owner, Bruce Jennings, filed for bankruptcy and Brandon was unable to collect the full sum.
The company could have sold its remaining guns and given $3 million (£2.4 million) to Brandon, but he refused and asked for the guns to be destroyed instead.
The babysitter was trying to unload the .380-calibre pistol, which required the safety to be turned off, and the gun accidentally discharged.
The gun would usually jam if someone tried to remove a bullet when the safety was on, a court heard in 2003.
But instead of fixing the problem, Bryco Arms changed the instructions, telling gun owners to disable the safety before taking out the bullets.
Brandon’s attorney, Richard Ruggieri, told Los Angeles Times: ‘I was proud of him. He channelled all of his energy into his belief that what happened to him should never happen to anyone else.’
Brandon was a straight-A student and his hero was quadriplegic Christopher Reeve, who famously played Superman.
Family friend, Mike Harkins, said the 29-year-old had issues with his lungs and circulation, and his health declined.
He died at his home in California and was buried on Saturday.
While recovering from being accidentally shot in the chin and spine by his babysitter in 1994, Brandon Maxfield asked for guns to be destroyed instead of taking £2.4million in compensation.
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| Brandon was paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair |
The shooting left him paralysed from the neck down and hooked up to a ventilator every night.
In 2003, he sued the gun manufacturer, Bryco Arms, and won $24 million (£20 million) in compensation in a landmark ruling.
But the company’s owner, Bruce Jennings, filed for bankruptcy and Brandon was unable to collect the full sum.
 |
| Brandon was paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair |
The company could have sold its remaining guns and given $3 million (£2.4 million) to Brandon, but he refused and asked for the guns to be destroyed instead.
The babysitter was trying to unload the .380-calibre pistol, which required the safety to be turned off, and the gun accidentally discharged.
The gun would usually jam if someone tried to remove a bullet when the safety was on, a court heard in 2003.
But instead of fixing the problem, Bryco Arms changed the instructions, telling gun owners to disable the safety before taking out the bullets.
Brandon’s attorney, Richard Ruggieri, told Los Angeles Times: ‘I was proud of him. He channelled all of his energy into his belief that what happened to him should never happen to anyone else.’
Brandon was a straight-A student and his hero was quadriplegic Christopher Reeve, who famously played Superman.
 |
| Brandon was seven years old when he was shot |
Family friend, Mike Harkins, said the 29-year-old had issues with his lungs and circulation, and his health declined.
He died at his home in California and was buried on Saturday.
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