Why we need gun control: Rifle used by Ky. boy in sister's death made for kids

[aGameOfThrones]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A 5-year-old boy who shot and killed his 2-year-old sister Tuesday near Burkesville, Ky., used a special, child-sized rifle he got in November for his birthday.

The fatal shell was fired from a Crickett — "a rifle for a little kid," said Cumberland County Coroner Gary White.

STORY: 5-year-old kills his sister, 2, with 'My First Rifle'

Caroline Sparks, 2, was shot in the chest Tuesday afternoon and pronounced dead at Cumberland County Hospital, White said. He said her brother was used to shooting the rifle and was playing with it when it went off.

The .22-caliber weapon is marketed as "My First Rifle" by Milton, Pa.-based Keystone Sporting Arms LLC, and comes in colors including blue and pink.

On its website, the company offers a "Kids Corner" with pictures of young boys and girls, and testimonials from parents, including one who says the rifles are "just the right size for my 5- and 7-year-olds. They are awesome and we couldn't be happier."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/02/boy-shoots-sister-my-first-rifle/2128573/

[RM918]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/02/boy-shoots-sister-my-first-rifle/2128573/

These monsters have been marketing these killing machines to innocent children for years! Why, there must piles of dead kids who went on murderous rampages after receiving one of these evil devices and not because a parent thought it'd be fantastic to leave their kids alone with a loaded rifle, because it's "for kids". This one incident has proven that no one is capable of safely training their 5 year old to handle a rifle, despite all of the ones that do.

[MelissaWV]

Why we need proofreaders: "Rifle used by Ky. boy in sister's death made for kids "

The sister's death was made for kids?

[Slutter McGee]

CEO of our company sent out an email to about 200 people about this exact story arguing for gun bans. I sent out a reply to all 200 telling him he was full of it. I think he actually appreciated that I had the guts to disagree with him.

Slutter McGee

[VIDEODROME]

Well.... uh. When I was a kid my grandpa just gave me a BB pump gun. I'm sorry but making .22s for kids is insane.

[Noob]

His parents needed to do a better job of teaching him how to use it. No need for gun control, or banning more guns.

[PaulConventionWV]

Why we need proofreaders: "Rifle used by Ky. boy in sister's death made for kids "

The sister's death was made for kids?

Ummm, no.

[sailingaway]

because kids should be taught gun safety, under appropriate parental supervision, with guns that are too big for them to control....

[PaulConventionWV]

This kid obviously didn't have very good gun control. You're right, we absolutely do need more gun control because kids need to be taught how to control their guns.

In all seriousness, though, I don't think I would buy one of those things for my kid. Just wait until they can safely operate a real gun. Learning how to shoot is a serious matter and the weapon should be treated with respect because it gives tremendous power to the person who holds it.

[MelissaWV]

Ummm, no.

That is one way in which it may be read, so ummm, yes.

[angelatc]

That is one way in which it may be read, so ummm, yes.

I guess they don't teach English like they used to.

[MelissaWV]

I guess they don't teach English like they used to.

Bad headlines are everywhere...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ng-Dp2WeE5g/T025UI9SkQI/AAAAAAAACEU/kBNNGgt978I/s1600/hilarious-newspaper-headlines-06.jpg

[pcosmar]

Well.... uh. When I was a kid my grandpa just gave me a BB pump gun. I'm sorry but making .22s for kids is insane.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video?id=8714701

http://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&q=crickett+rifles&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45960087,d.aWM&biw=1452&bih=703&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=jA2DUZTlFIj8qwGdrICoCA#imgrc=_

[FriedChicken]

My 2.5 year old daughter has a great respect for guns. I purposely always have one in plain sight but she absolutely understands to never touch them unless she has my permission. She likes to "help" mount scopes and "fix" guns with me.

Since I have firearms I want all my children to understand them, gun safety and limits at the earliest age possible and my daughter (my other kid is less than a week old) has learned really well.
She has only touched a gun once without permission and was punished for it.

I'm greatly looking forward to presenting her with her first firearm - I don't know when that will be. She will have to earn it.

Every time I hear one of these stories it fills me with grief. I think the parents are more to blame than anyone but I don't want to be overly critical of them when they're going through such a sadness.

Theses horror stories make me feel better and more assured of how my wife and I are raising our kids.

There was another story where a guy was showing his guns to a friend and a 4 year old sneaked into the room and grabbed a pistol off the bed and pulled the trigger before they knew he was even in the room. The gun owner's wife was killed in the next room.
If the 4 year old had been my child he would have known to NEVER grab a gun like that and never EVER pull the trigger (even though I would never put a chambered firearm in front of a 4 year old)

Very sad story. I feel very badly for the family. Poor little girl.