Five-year-old Kentucky boy shoots dead sister, 2, with 'my first rifle' he was given as a gift

 

Ap
Friday 03 May 2013 15:59 BST
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A boy of five has shot dead his two-year-old sister in the US with a rifle he was given as a present.

Their mother told police in Kentucky she had been outside on a porch for “no more than three minutes” on when the shooting occurred.

The victim, Caroline Starks, died Tuesday in Burkesville, in southern Kentucky.

“It’s just one of those nightmares — a quick thing that happens when you turn your back,” said Kentucky State Police Public Affairs officer Billy Gregory.

The boy’s .22-calibre rifle was a present and he is used to shooting it, police said. It was kept in a corner and the family did not realise a shell was left inside it.

The gun was identified as a Crickett, referring to a company that specifically makes guns, clothes and books for children.

Keystone Sporting Arms produced 60,000 Crickett and Chipmunk rifles in 2008, according to its website. It also makes guns for adults.

The company’s slogan is “my first rifle,” and its website has a “Kids Corner” section with photos of children at shooting ranges and on bird and deer hunts.

“The goal of KSA is to instill gun safety in the minds of youth shooters and encourage them to gain the knowledge and respect that hunting and shooting activities require and deserve,” the website said.

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