Man shoots himself in chest on camera while filming reel

What began as a social media stunt spiralled into a chilling tragedy in East Delhi, where a 28-year-old property dealer lost his life after accidentally shooting himself while recording a reel with a pistol.

The incident unfolded in New Ashok Nagar, where Pawan Kumar, a resident of Dallupura village, was seen handling a licensed firearm for the first time, a weapon owned by his cousin Himanshu, who was also filming the video.

According to police, the duo was shooting a reel when Pawan started loading the pistol on camera. The now-viral footage captures Himanshu cautioning him repeatedly, warning him not to fire the weapon as he tries to guide him through the process.

In a shocking turn just seconds later, Pawan is seen placing the gun against his chest. He briefly looks towards the camera — and pulls the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot is followed by chaos. Pawan collapses instantly, while a stunned Himanshu is heard shouting in disbelief, “Ye kya kar diya tune?”

Police said the incident came to light on March 16 after Dharamshila Hospital informed authorities about a gunshot victim being brought in. Officers rushed to the hospital and found Pawan unconscious with a bullet wound to the left side of his chest. Despite efforts by doctors, he was declared dead during treatment.

Investigators have since seized the pistol along with 10 live cartridges. The mobile phone used to record the video has also been taken into custody, and forensic evidence has been collected from the scene.

Authorities confirmed that Pawan had no prior experience handling firearms, raising serious questions about the risks of using weapons for social media content.

The body has been sent for post-mortem to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital as police continue to probe the sequence of events leading to the fatal shot.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway.