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 and kill his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday , state officials said . The shooting that took the life of Caroline Sparks in southern Kentucky has been ruled an accident , Kentucky State Police Trooper Billy Gregory said . `` It 's just one of those nightmares , '' he said , `` a quick thing that happens when you turn your back . '' Young children in the area are often introduced to guns at an early age , Gregory said . `` In this part of the country , it 's not uncommon for a 5-year-old to have a gun or for a parent to pass one down to their kid , '' he said . Her family kept the Crickett rifle in what they considered to be a safe spot , Cumberland County Coroner Gary White told the CNN affiliate . The boy was playing with it Tuesday when it accidentally went off and killed his sister , White said . `` The little Crickett rifle is a single-shot rifle , and it has a child safety , '' White told CNN . `` It 's just a tragic situation . '' Kids and guns : 'These are not isolated tragedies ' The Crickett website features three .22-caliber rifle models for kids , with shoulder stock colors ranging from pink to red , white and blue swirls . `` My first rifle '' is the company 's slogan . Family members Wednesday described the shooting as an accident . `` He just picked ( the gun ) up before he realized it , '' grandmother Linda Riddle told WLEX . Riddle said her granddaughter enjoyed singing and playing outdoors , and she loved her brother . `` It 's just tragic , '' uncle David Mann told the CNN affiliate . `` It 's something that you ca n't prepare for . '' Riddle said she is devastated , but comforted knowing that her granddaughter is in a better place . `` It was God 's will . It was her time to go , I guess , '' she told WLEX . `` I just know she 's in heaven right now and I know she 's in good hands with the Lord . '' Caroline Sparks ' death comes after two other incidents in recent months involving young children shooting others . In early April , a 4-year-old boy in Tennessee shot and killed a 48-year-old woman , and just days later , 6-year-old Brandon Holt was killed in New Jersey after being shot in the head by his 4-year-old playmate . Before the play date , the gun talk . How young is too young for kids to have guns ? Weigh in with your opinion in the comments below .
Family members describe the shooting as a tragic accident . The boy got the Crickett rifle for his 5th birthday , officials say . The mom was home but had stepped outside , a police spokesman says . TL;DR A 5-year-old Texas boy accidentally shot himself in the leg with an air rifle, authorities said Monday.