A boy of 13 fatally shot himself while broadcasting live on Instagram to his friends.

US teenager Malachi Hemphill was playing with a handgun and talking to friends over the video chat when he accidentally discharged the firearm.

His mother Shaniqua Stephens said she and her daughter broke down the door of Malachi's bedroom after hearing a bang and discovered the teenager lying on the floor.

"We kicked in the door. We found him just laying there in a pool of blood," she told the local 11 Alive television station in Georgia.

As they went to him she saw his phone was still streaming video.

"He was my only son," she added. "He was just only 13. Just the thought of me seeing him on the floor will never leave my brain."

Mrs Stephens said that others in the video chat recalled that Malachi had been playing with the gun shortly before the accident.

Another teenager had asked Malachi why his firearm was not loaded and urged him to put in ammunition.

As he attempted to load in a clip, he accidentally discharged his weapon, she said.

Mrs Stephens added she was not aware that her son had obtained a gun, saying it appears he was given it by a friend.

Police in Georgia are investigating the incident, while Malachi's family are now urging other families to keep a close watch on their children.

"It can happen to the best parents," said Malachi's step father Ernest Stephens, adding that parents should discuss "situations and decisions".