MIMS, Fla. – A 49-year-old man is dead after accidentally shooting himself in the head, officials say.
Volusia County Sheriff's Office said that Charles Cooper, 49, and a female friend were on property that Cooper owns in Mims, with plans to fish and barbecue.
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The couple had been drinking and sometime while they were outdoors Cooper retrieved a handgun, deputies said. A friend told Cooper that he had removed the magazine from the handgun but questioned aloud whether there was still a round in the chamber.
Deputies said Cooper raised the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, discharging a fatal round. He fell to the ground next to the bonfire.
Volusia County Sheriff's Office was notified Sunday morning around 1:50.
Cooper was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy. All signs at the scene point to the shooting being an accident.