A man is fighting for his life after being shot in the head by a woman who was playing with a loaded handgun while live on Facebook.

Footage of the incident, which shows the moment Devyn Holmes was shot in the early hours of Sunday morning, has been viewed thousands of times on social media.

Cassandra Damper, 25, was arrested following the shooting at a petrol station in Houston, Texas.

The Facebook Live broadcast shows a man in the back of a vehicle place a handgun between Mr Holmes and a woman, who police say is Ms Damper, both sitting in the front.

The woman picks up the gun and points it towards the camera.

“You’re making me nervous,” Mr Holmes says as he grabs her hand.

The man in the back says "She ain't got no clip, blud," before the woman tells Mr Holmes, “Say something, bitch," and pulls the trigger, shooting the 26-year-old father in the head.