home > news > weird

Gun Safety Demo Turns Tragic

Arizona man shoots himself in head in front of stunned onlookers

By Greg Wilson

| Monday, May 18, 2009 | Updated 1:45 PM EDT

View Comments (

)

AP Image

An Arizona gun safety session went awry when the instructor thought his gun was empty and killed himself.

An Arizona man killed himself early Sunday while demonstrating gun safety techniques.

Samuel Benally, 26, of Phoenix, was in an apartment with the two witnesses when he told them guns should be kept unloaded because people could point them at their heads, Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett Mitchell told the Arizona Star.

Benally put his own 9mm Ruger, which he thought was unloaded, to his head and fired, Mitchell said. He was flown to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Mitchell said.

An investigation is ongoing, but police do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, Mitchell said.