Boy, 5, kills sister with first rifle

UNITED STATES

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy has shot and killed his two-year-old sister while playing with a rifle designed for children.

The children’s mother was at home in Burkesville, Kentucky, when the girl, identified as Caroline Starks, was shot with a single-shot .22-calibre children’s gun that her brother is believed to have received as a gift last year.

‘‘The mother was cleaning the house and said she stepped outside to empty a bucket when she heard a pop and rushed back in to see what happened,’’ Kentucky State Trooper Billy Gregory said. ‘‘They worked on the girl a little, but could not save her.’’

He said the gun was made by Crickett, which specialises in children’s firearms. ‘‘It’s a very small rifle – something you would invest in to teach a child how a weapon works,’’ he said.

The gun was kept in a corner, and the family did not realise a round had been left in it. ‘‘At this time we are only one day removed from the incident and it’s too early to know if there will or won’t be any crim- inal charges resulting from the case,’’ Gregory said.

He added that childhood shooting accidents were rare. ‘‘I’m surprised we don’t have more because in rural Kentucky hunting is a way of life.’’

It is not necessary to have a gun licence to own a firearm in Kentucky.

The ‘‘Kids Corner’’ on Crickett’s website shows pictures of children, including a toddler in fatigues, holding and shooting firearms. Crickett also sells shooting jackets and baseball caps emblazoned with the words ‘‘My First Rifle’’.