A 5-year-old boy shot and killed his 2-year-old sister Wednesday with his birthday present: A 22-caliber rifle made especially for children.

The shooting, which authorities are calling an accident, occurred in the rural southern Kentucky town of Burkesville.

The full story can be found at Louisville Courier-Journal.com.

The shooting comes as the nation and Congress grapples with the emotional issue of gun control and underlies why for some guns are an important fixture and tradition in their lives, a fixture that begins early and is seen as part of who they are. Conversely, the shooting for those who believe society must do more to control access to weapons proves their point.

The mother of the young boy and girl was at home when the shooting happened but had just stepped outside for a moment.

The rifle used by the 5-year-old is called the Crickett and is marketed as "My First Rifle" by a Pennsylvania-based company which produces it, and another like it called the Chipmunk, in colors including blue and pink.

The company, Keystone Sporting Arms LLC, on its website offers a "kids corner" where pictures of young boys and girls using the guns are shown along with testimonials from parents about how happy they are with them.

Cumberland County, Ky., Coroner Gary White summed up the accident Wednesday as "just one of those crazy accidents."