A Texas teenager has died after he fatally shot himself as he posed for a selfie with a gun – a day ahead of starting community college.
Family members have identified the man to local news website Click2Houston as Deleon Alonso Smith.
Smith was taking photographs with a gun at an apartment in south-west Houston at around 1.30pm on Tuesday when the firearm accidentally went off, police have said.
The teenager died after the bullet pierced his throat.
Smith’s cousin was in another room when the gun fired, according to investigators.
The father-of-two was due to start college on Wednesday, according to his family.
Alma Douglas, the victim’s grandmother, said she saw her grandson on Monday as she celebrated her birthday.
“It’s a numb feeling. It’s still unbelievable,” she said. “Yesterday was my birthday and he came to wish me happy birthday, and then to hear this kind of news.”
“It’s the worst feeling in my life,” said Eric Douglas, the victim’s uncle.
No charges have been filed as police attempt to pinpoint the origin of the gun.
The cousin told police they had found the gun earlier in the day.
The tragic incident comes after a Mexican man fatally shot himself by mistake as he posed for a selfie last August.
Oscar Otero Aguilar, 21, a vet, pointed the loaded gun at his face and accidentally pulled the trigger, according to police. He died shortly after police officers arrived on the scene. – The Independent