Man taking out trash slips in mud and fatally shoots himself in chest, Texas cops say

A Texas man slipped, fell and fatally shot himself while taking out the trash, police said.

First responders received a call for help at about 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, after a man was found “lying on the ground unresponsive” at an apartment complex on San Antonio’s north side, police said in a news release.

Investigators said the 58-year-old was carrying his garbage and a handgun when he slipped on mud and tumbled down a small hill. While falling downhill, his pistol went off and a round hit him in the chest, police said.

It’s unclear what caused the gun to fire, and officials didn’t say if the man was holding the pistol when he fell or if it was in a pocket or holster.

He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to police.

A neighbor told KENS she heard the man crying out after the gunshot, and her brother ran outside to help.

“I was looking through the window the whole time. He fell and he was still yelling, ‘Help me!’” she told the station.

San Antonio police said the investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Man taking out trash slips in mud and fatally shoots himself in chest, Texas cops say."