A 36-year-old Independence Township man is dead after he shot himself in the head while demonstrating the gun, deputies reported.The Oakland County Medical Examiner has ruled his death a suicide.

The mans girlfriend was performing CPR on the victim when deputies from the Oakland County Sheriffs Office arrived at the residence on Pinedale off of Sashabaw Road south of Maybee Road - at 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The girlfriend, who also lived at the Independence Township residence, told deputies the victim had been drinking most of the day.

She told authorities that he had begun showing her how to use his three handguns and demonstrating how safe they were when they were empty, which he did by placing the gun to his head and pulling the trigger, officials said.

After doing this twice, he demonstrated the third handgun and the gun fired, striking him in the head.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Undersheriff Michael McCabe said: (The situation) is pretty unique, as I have never heard of anyone testing out the safety of a gun by pointing at their head and pulling the trigger.

Three children, ages 7, 10 and 12, were present at the time of the shooting, but they did not witness it, police said. The children are not the biological children of the victim.

The victims name is being withheld, pending notification of his family.

The medical examiner said they do not know the victims blood-alcohol level at this time.