A Natchez teenager died Wednesday in an accidental shooting at a house on Catalpa Drive, police said.

Jeremy Harrigill, 18, 106 Catalpa Drive, accidentally shot himself once in the head with a .38 revolver, said Natchez Police Chief Willie Huff. Harrigill was in a bedroom at the house with a brother and a friend, both 17, Huff said.

At around 6 p.m., the boys were looking at the gun when the victim unloaded it and started snapping the trigger, causing the gun to fire, Huff said.

&uot;I’m sure he thought the weapon was empty,&uot; Huff said. &uot;It appears at this time (to have been) an accidental shooting.&uot;

The other two boys called for an ambulance to take Harrigill to Natchez Community Hospital.

He died later at University Medical Center in Jackson.

Huff said people need to be careful with firearms to avoid these types of accidents.

&uot;You should treat all weapons as if they are loaded,&uot; Huff said. &uot;It’s tragic, but it can be prevented.&uot;

People connected with the incident told police the gun belonged to the victim, Huff said.

This is the third time in the past year mishandling of firearms has killed someone in the Miss-Lou.

On Mother’s Day, Julia Swanson, of 719 Walnut St., Vidalia, La., accidentally shot her son Jerome &uot;Pluck&uot; Swanson, of Ferriday, while the two were horse-playing with a gun.

In November 1999, 13-year-old Cecilia Banks of Adams County, died after a 12-gauge shotgun accidentally went off as she was climbing into her father’s truck to play.