A Kentucky mother stepped outside of her home just for a few minutes, when tragedy struck. Her 5-year-old son accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday, state officials said.

The shooting 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.”

On Wednesday, state police were still investigating toddler Caroline Sparks’ death, CNN affiliate WLEX reported. The family has kept the rifle in a “safe spot,” the Cumberland County Coroner Gary White told the reporters.

“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.

The boy, Kristian Sparks, 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.”

An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

Keystone Sporting Arms, manufacturers the Crickett and an assortment of other products geared towards children.

The company’s slogan is “my first rifle” and its website boasts a “Kids Corner” section, which depicts young boys and girls at shooting ranges and on bird and deer hunts.

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Photo supplied family friend via funeral home

Thoughts and prayers for this family and the child – The Global Dispatch