Houston man shoots self in head while showing off gun with girlfriend, police say

An apartment complex in the 7700 block of Corporate Drive is seen on Google Maps Street View in September 2018. An apartment complex in the 7700 block of Corporate Drive is seen on Google Maps Street View in September 2018. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston man shoots self in head while showing off gun with girlfriend, police say 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 20-year-old Houston man is in critical condition after reportedly shooting himself in the head while showing off a handgun inside a west Houston apartment complex.

The man was playing with the gun while hanging out with his girlfriend inside an apartment in the 7700 block of Corporate Drive, according to Houston police. He put the gun to his face and took several photos for social media while the two were together, police said.

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At some point, he racked the gun, not realizing he had placed a round in the chamber, according to police. He removed the magazine, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, shooting himself.

Paramedics rushed him to Ben Taub Hospital, where he remains in critical condition, police said.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com