Kentucky 5-year-old gets rifle as gift and shoots 2-year-old sister dead

A 5-year-old boy in Kentucky shot and killed his 2-year-old sister on Tuesday while playing with a .22 caliber rifle that he was given as a gift, state police said in a statement.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the shooting happened at the family's home in Cumberland County around 1 p.m. The 2-year-old girl was later pronounced dead at Cumberland County Hospital.

The girl was identified as Caroline Starks by Cumberland County Coroner Gary White.

White said that the boy had been given the rifle as a gift last year and that the mother had been at home when the shooting occurred. The rifle was normally kept in a corner of the home, but family members did not realize the gun had been loaded.

"It's a Crickett," the coroner explained. "It's a little rifle for a kid... The little boy's used to shooting the little gun."

"Just one of those crazy accidents," he added.

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