Boy, 5, kills sister with rifle

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” when the shooting occurred.

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 realize a shell was left inside it.

The local coroner said the shooting will be ruled accidental.

State police said the shooting occurred when the boy was ``playing'' with the rifle. It is not clear whether any charges will be filed, said a spokesman.

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.