Man fatally shot after checking if gun was loaded by putting it to his head and pulling the trigger

A man from Volusia County, Florida, fatally shot himself in the head on Sunday after questioning aloud to a friend if the gun was loaded, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Charles Cooper, 49, had been drinking beer next to a bonfire with a woman at his property in Mims about 40 miles south of Daytona Beach, deputies said. The two had plans to fish and barbecue, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Cooper retrieved a handgun at some point, took out the magazine and then questioned aloud whether there was still a round in the chamber. “Cooper then raised the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, discharging a fatal round,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
“Cooper fell to the ground right next to a bonfire and was pronounced dead at the scene.” The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the shooting at 1:50 a.m. and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy, but all signs point to the shooting being an accident, the Sheriff’s Office added.