A world champion shooter died in a hunting accident after firing his gun at himself as he bent over to pick up fresh cartridges.
Italian Cristian Ghilli, 19, shot himself in Ponteginori, Tuscany, when he collected some ammunition from the floor.
The teenager fired a round into his abdomen and hand on January 6, his family confirmed. He died overnight after being rushed to hospital.
Ghillir, an experienced hunter and junior world champion in skeet shooting, died in the countryside of Montecatini Val di Cecina in the Pisa Province.
The world junior clay pigeon shooting champion was pronounced dead at 10pm on Thursday.
He succumbed to his injuries after medics were unable to stop the internal bleeding.
The victim also belonged to the Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Oro, the sport section of the Italian state police.
In October 2021, he came first for the Men's Skeet Team in the Junior World Shotgun Championships.
He was accompanied by friends on the hunting trip when he stopped to collect some shells at the end of the hunt.
According to the news site Il Messaggero, Ghilli fell and his rifle went off, hitting him in the abdomen and hand.
His friends called the emergency services and paramedics provided first aid at the scene before an ambulance transported him to the Hospital Cecina in a serious condition.
The police arrived on the scene to begin their investigation, stating that it appeared like a terrible accident and no foul play is suspected at the moment.
After arriving at hospital, the teenager underwent an emergency operation. However, he succumbed to his injuries at around 10pm.
The police are continuing to investigate the incident and are looking into why the experienced hunter's rifle was still loaded after the hunt had finished.
Skeet shooting is one of the three main disciplines of competitive clay shooting.
