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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 57-year-old man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in what police say was a tragic accident Friday evening.

The man was drinking with friends in the area of 4600 West and Dunsmore Way and showing them his gun at the time of the fatal accident, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxanne Vainuku.

The man took the magazine out of the gun and pulled the trigger while pointing it at his own throat, Vainuku said. Emergency workers responded to the scene about 7:45 p.m.

The man’s name wasn’t immediately released Friday night.

Vainuku said all indications are that the shooting was accidental.

He didn’t appear to express any sort of suicidal thoughts. … At this point it looks like a simple accident,” she said.

Nobody else was hurt in the incident.

“Never point a gun at another person – even if you have the magazine out of the gun, as we see with that incident tonight,” Vainuku said. “It turned out to be a deadly decision.”

Contributing: Brianna Bodily

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