It took Dwight Luton nearly a minute before he informed an 911 dispatcher that his mortally-wounded wife had sustained a gunshot wound, according to a 911 tape released Tuesday by police.

Luton, of Riviera Beach, is facing charges of first-degree murder and evidence tampering after he allegedly killed Ashley Balius on March 7 inside her vehicle at their home on North Canterbury Drive.

See who’s been booked into the Palm Beach County Jail

The 911 call begins with Luton politely greeting the dispatcher and requesting an ambulance. Luton doesn’t immediately say anything to reflect the situation’s gravity and appears to be slurring his words as he speaks.

"My wife … there was an accident," Luton says after being switched to a second 911 dispatcher.

The 911 operator repeatedly asks what happened while Luton appears either to not be listening to the question or is confused.

"She went to the store… . I need an ambulance right now," Luton said.

The dispatcher again asks Luton what happened to Balius.

"Oh, she’s injured," Luton said 50 seconds into the call. "She got a gunshot wound."

The 911 tape ends there.

Luton told police that Balius, his wife of less than a year, accidentally shot herself while grabbing a gun from her purse. Police found a bag containing a gun lying on the driveway of the couple’s home. But nothing indicated it recently had been fired, according to a police report.

Surveillance video from the home disputes Luton’s version of events, police said. The video shows Luton reaching into the vehicle just before Balius was shot and then wiping himself off and making phone calls without immediately rendering aid to his critically injured wife, according to a probable-cause affidavit.

Have you seen them? Wanted fugitives in Palm Beach County

Balius, 31, died several hours after the shooting, police said.

Balius worked as a partner in Luton’s firearm business, Strictly Tactical Firearms, LLC, according to the company’s website. County and state records show Luton has owned the business since 2009. According to the website, it offers concealed weapons and shooting classes and sells AR-10s, AR-15s and AK-47s.

Download our PostNOW app to get the latest Breaking News