Three-year-old girl accidentally shoots sister, 4, dead in Texas

Girl killed sibling in family home with semi-automatic pistol but unclear if any of five adults present will face charges

In a case that starkly illustrates the deadly consequences that the US's permissive gun culture has on the country's youth, a three-year-old girl accidentally shot her four-year-old sister to death in their Texas home late on Sunday, according to authorities.

First responders found the slain girl while responding to an emergency call at 7.30pm about an injured minor at an apartment in suburban Houston, the local sheriff's office said in a statement. She was there with five adults - including her mother and stepfather - when her younger sister grabbed a loaded semi-automatic pistol and shot her, first responders learned.