A father is being criticized for posting a video of himself getting some target practice by shooting at a cigarette placed in his son’s mouth.
The unnamed man in question was shown in the video instructing his son to hold a cigarette in his mouth so he could show off his marksmanship skills. The 47-second clip is said to be shot somewhere south of Iraq.
In the footage, the boy holds the cigarette in his mouth with his head tilted up, making it an easier target to hit.
The man walks into the frame carrying a Kalashnikov (AK) assault rifle. He demands his son stay motionless before he crouches into a squatting position, aims, and fires, blasting the tip of the cigarette and narrowly missing his son’s head.
The boy flinches slightly as the gun is fired and then takes the cigarette out of his mouth. The footage ends with the man holding up the cigarette’s remains to the camera to further emphasize his shooting skills.
The video is being shared by activists on social media who are criticizing the man for extreme child endangerment.
“A sniper in Iraq puts a child’s life on the line. He risks the life of a child to prove his worth,” a spokesperson for the non-governmental group Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights tweeted.
Although the boy was not injured in the video, his father was condemned by many viewers who implored authorities to arrest the father and charge him with attempted murder. It is unclear as to whether any charges will be made against him.
Similar incidents have ended in tragedy. In November, a Texas hunter accidentally shot and killed his 11-year-old daughter as the result of a gun mishap.
Earlier in the week, a man appeared in a video shooting at a target placed in his little girl’s mouth.