One of the first rules of firearms safety is to never point a gun at yourself. Apparently, Indian property dealer Pawan Kumar of New Delhi never got the memo.

In a mind-numbingly idiotic display of “look how cool I am,” Kumar was displaying how handy he was with a piece to his cousin Himanshu. Rocking a tight orange half-zip, Kumar is shown holding a fully loaded magazine in the video. Following this, he extricates the handgun, which appears to be a 1911. Next, he loads the clip into the gun as Himanshu can be heard speaking off camera.

Next, Kumar cocks the gun’s slide, placing a bullet in its chamber. Then, for whatever reason, he holds the gun directly over his chest, smiling to the camera. It doesn’t take long for things to go horribly wrong. (Warning: some viewers my find the footage below disturbing.)

🇮🇳‼️ÚLTIMAS NOTÍCIAS: FAÇA QUALQUER COISA POR FAMA

Pawan Kumar, de 28 anos, em Nova Delhi, Índia, atirou em si mesmo no peito e morreu enquanto gravava um vídeo para as redes sociais.

Seu primo estava literalmente filmando-o brincando com uma arma fornecida para ganhar… pic.twitter.com/VYwOBs7Wqa

— Conservatism And Elegance 🇺🇲 (@ThayzzySmith) March 17, 2026

The Indian Realtor’s gun discharged.

Almost instantly, Kumar’s handgun goes off, causing him to collapse to the floor. Himanshu is heard in the background shouting, “Oh my God!” as the clip comes to an end. Judging from the video, it looks like Kumar, while stunting for likes, shot himself through the heart. The last image of the clip shows him splayed out on the ground after he folded like an accordion.

Indian Express writes that Kumar was rushed to Dharamshila Hospital in Delhi, where he was pronounced dead. The outlet spoke with a police officer, who issued a statement on the situation. “Upon receipt of the information, police staff immediately reached the hospital … Kumar had been brought in an unconscious condition with a gunshot wound on the left side of his chest. The attending doctors declared him dead.”

Furthermore, the website indicates that the gun didn’t belong to Kumar, but was licensed his cousin Himanshu. In the 19-second clip, Kumar’s cousin can be heard cautioning the man against not firing the weapon and to handle it with care.

Social media stunt, or suicide?

Various outlets and reactions to the video from folks online have offered up differentiating opinions on Kumar’s motive. The Times of India writes that Kumar intentionally “pulls the trigger” in the video. India Express says that Himanshu and Kumar were making a video together. Whereas an X post from the Right Angle News Network claimed the two were “filming a social media reel.”

Delhi authorities purportedly classified the case as a “culpable homicide not amounting to murder.” Folks who replied to footage of Kumar’s death mocked the man. One penned: “He died doing what he loved. RIP.” Whereas another stated that he is the latest, proudest recipient of the Darwin Award.

bro has earned that darwin award 🥇 pic.twitter.com/NbKFNs0wxh

— Cursed Puns (@CursedPuns) March 17, 2026

Another was puzzled by the man’s actions, stating that they couldn’t understand his motivations. “WTF did he think was going to happen?” they asked.

Improper Gun Usage

But others used it as an opportunity to share safe firearms handling practices on social media.

As this X user penned: “Always keep firearm pointed in a safe direction. Treat all guns as if they’re loaded. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Always be sure of your target and what’s behind it.”

1. Always keep firearm pointed in a safe direction.
2. Treat all guns as if they're loaded.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
4. Always be sure of your target and what's behind it.

— Bobby Shaftoe (@robertshaftoe41) March 17, 2026

Someone else remarked: “I see this a lot on X. I don’t understand people lacking proper gun training owning guns. I can give you the number one highlight of gun safety training. Never handle a loaded gun with a bullet chambered. Never!”

Social media gun livestream deaths

Sadly, this isn’t the first time someone has accidentally killed themselves while stunting for the ‘gram. In 2024, a 17-year-old aspiring rapper Rylo Huncho filmed himself playing with a handgun outfitted with a laser sight on Instagram Live.

The short video begins with the Virginia teen tossing his firearm around in his hand before directly aiming the barrel to his head. He grins as he does so, but then the handgun discharges, knocking his head to the side, sending Huncho to the floor. The video was recorded and shared online, which Ultra News has embedded below. Viewer discretion is advised.

🇺🇸 Rylo Huncho, rapero de Virginia, ha fallecido tras dispararse accidentalmente mientras grababa un vídeo en TikTok. pic.twitter.com/NIy5RVY5P4

— Informe Orwell (@InformeOrwell) May 19, 2024

Authorities would later confirm that Huncho died of an “accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

In January of 2026, Fox 13 reported that a 15-year-old suffered severe injuries “after accidentally shooting himself in Binghampton.” Like Huncho, the teen was showing a gun off on social media. Also like Huncho, the young man’s firearm accidentally discharged, striking him in the ear. He was admitted into the hospital in critical condition, which was “upgraded to non-critical,” the following day.

Another tragic incident involving cousins playing with guns during a livestream occurred in March of 2022. 12-year-old Paris Harvey and her cousin, Kuaron Harvey (14) both died while broadcasting their handling of a handgun. St. Louis law enforcement labeled the accident as a “murder-suicide” according to the outlet. But Harvey’s mother denied that this is the case, but called their deaths a “freak accident.”