PIERSON -- A man described by witnesses as drunk and playing with a gun in a reckless fashion died Friday night after accidentally shooting himself in the head, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
The shooting occurred at about 9:14 p.m. outside of a home on Murphy Road in Pierson. Sheriff's deputies who are investigating the shooting haven't positively determined the victim's name, but he's believed to be either 37 or 42 and was visiting from North Carolina.
Witnesses said the victim showed up at the house drunk and brought the .357-caliber revolver with him. They said the man was recklessly playing with the gun and at least one witness said he told the man to stop. All of a sudden, a shot rang out and the victim fell to the ground bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. Rescue personnel from Volusia and Lake counties treated the victim until he was loaded onto a Sheriff's Office helicopter for the airlift to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital, Davidson said.