Detectives: Man shoots self after claiming gun was not loaded

SEMINOLE, Fla. - A Seminole man was seriously injured after claiming his gun was not loaded and then shooting himself in the head, according to Pinellas County detectives.

Chaz Ursomanno was showing his girlfriend a handgun at their home on 87th Terrace north around 2 a.m. Thursday. She asked him to put it away, but he claimed the weapon was not loaded.

To prove it, he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. It did not fire.

According to a sheriff's statement, "Confident it was empty, he repeated this again. Unfortunately the gun was loaded and this time it did fire."

Ursomanno, 22, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with a life-threatening injury to the head.

Homicide detectives at the scene said the incident was "an accident."