Ponca City Police Investigate Accidental Shooting

The Ponca City Police Department responded to the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday, in a parking lot near North 5th Street.

Police say the victim, 23-year-old Cesar Lopez, was the passenger in a car and was handling a loaded firearm. According to the vehicle's driver, the firearm went off unintentionally and struck Lopez in the head. The driver then stopped in the parking lot where she called 911.

"Tragedies such as this can commonly be avoided by always assuming a firearm is loaded and never pointing a firearm in an unsafe direction," the Ponca City Police Department said. "Additionally, we urge everyone to keep firearms away from children and stored in a safe location so they are not accessible to anyone who is not familiar with, or capable, of safe firearm handling practices."