~ Boy, 5, shoots and kills sister, 2, with ‘My First Rifle’!! ~

[~Maz~]

~ Boy, 5, shoots and kills sister, 2, with ‘My First Rifle’!! ~

Kid's rifle ... US firm markets guns at children

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD has shot dead his two-year-old sister with a gun called ‘MY FIRST RIFLE’ - that is specially made for children in America.

The boy is understood to have been playing around with the child-sized lethal weapon when he accidentally shot the toddler named as Caroline Starks.

The two-year-old was shot with a .22-calibre rifle yesterday and rushed to hospital - but later pronounced dead.

The pair’s mother was at home in the small American town of Burkesville, Kentucky, at the time of the shooting just after 1pm local time.

Coroner Gary White revealed the Crickett company gun had been given to the boy as a gift last year.

He said: “It's a Crickett. It's a little rifle for a kid. The little boy's used to shooting the little gun."

He also explained the rifle was kept in a corner of the house and the family did not realise a shell had been left in the barrel.

Lethal weapon ... gun similar to the one used by five-year-old boy

Crickett guns are manufactured for kids by the Keystone Sporting Arms firm on a web page that boasts of their "child-friendly" rifles.

It says: “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.”

Coroner Mr White later admitted the incident would be ruled as an accident, saying: "It’s just one of those crazy accidents.”

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

[mdvsony]

Kid rifles........riiiiight.....sometimes common sense is non evident

[RichDC2]

Sorry this is completely the parents fault. The 5 yrs does not have the mental capacity to truely understand the dangers. Plan and simple treat all guns always as if there loaded and it would be in a safe somewhere out of little hands reach. Full blame to parents stupid stupid move

[Flex500]

I hate stuff like this for a variety of reasons...

1. it just breaks your heart...no matter whose fault or the politics behind it my heart just is crushed by stuff like this.

2. I'm a "gun guy" but even before having a baby my gun is locked in a freaking digital safe you'd need a missile to break into. I will teach my kid gun safety but they will NEVER be able to access a weapon without me...NEVER.

3. Stuff like this spurs gun legislature where it doesn't need to be. A gun is a deadly weapon. you can teach kids how to be safe with them but a 5 year old should not have access to a weapon on their own and they don't have the mental capacity to understand it is a deadly weapon.


I won't even teach my kid until they are probably over 8 or 10 about how to handle a gun and the first thing that will be taught is the seriousness of it. It's life or death.


I just hate hearing stuff like this but I also hate the sidebar repercussions that will follow. I can just see now someone with a sign saying "This is why we need strict gun laws". There is no law that will even be made to stop something like this. This is a tragic accident that is more of a parenting issue from what I can see.

[bigchamp89]

holy fuk what horrible parents that is ridiculous! a 5 yr old should not even have an airsoft gun, but a REAL gun? are you fucking shitting me? how stupid can people get??

[~Maz~]

~ This story is so full of WTF it is beyond any comprehension for me!! I can't wrap my head around giving a 5 year old a gun ... PERIOD!! I know some parents who don't even give their kids water pistols for it giving the wrong message which I always thought was a bit much ... but THIS??

That poor boy will have to live with that for the rest of his life ... The only good thing is so will his parents!! They basically gave their two year old daughter life but they also ended it!! ~

[Idar]

Is this even true? It's heartbreaking, but I literally woun't believe it.

[Curt James]

What a tragedy. Curious what their recommended age limits are for this gun.

[Curt James]

Sorry this is completely the parents fault. The 5 yrs does not have the mental capacity to truely understand the dangers. Plan and simple treat all guns always as if there loaded and it would be in a safe somewhere out of little hands reach. Full blame to parents stupid stupid move

Clearly.

[Curt James]

Is this even true? It's heartbreaking, but I literally woun't believe it.

Unfortunately, it is true. At least a Google search shows:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/us/ken...ing/index.html

5-year-old Kentucky boy fatally shoots 2-year-old sister

From Leigh Remizowski, CNN
updated 10:55 AM EDT, Wed May 1, 2013

(CNN) -- A Kentucky mother stepped outside of her home just for a few minutes, but it was long enough for her 5-year-old son to accidentally shoot his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday, state officials said.

Little Caroline Starks died Tuesday in Burkesville, in southern Kentucky, according to Cumberland County Coroner Gary White.

"The little Crickett rifle is a single-shot rifle and it has a child safety," White said of the weapon. "It's just a tragic situation."

[babygorilla]

"MY FIRST GRENADE" hits stores in November. Just in time for Christmas!

[TheRage93]

Sorry this is completely the parents fault. The 5 yrs does not have the mental capacity to truely understand the dangers. Plan and simple treat all guns always as if there loaded and it would be in a safe somewhere out of little hands reach. Full blame to parents stupid stupid move

I totally agree

[TheRage93]

"MY FIRST GRENADE" hits stores in November. Just in time for Christmas!

Lmao. "My first Javelin". "Accidentally" shoots down an airplane.