Gunshot Victim Found in Hills Above Santee

On Saturday at about 12:45 p.m., responded to a report of an apparently deceased male at the top of a peak in the hills behind , authorities reported on Monday.

According to the Sheriff's Department, three young adults who had been hiking in the area happened upon the body, met deputies at Princess Joann Road, and one of the witnesses took deputies and paramedics back to the body.

Once there, deputies discovered the body of a white male, thought to be about 45 years old, with a gun in his hand. The Fire Department pronounced the man dead at about 1:20 p.m.

The Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene and collected the body, and the handgun was collected by deputies at the scene.

According to authorities, the deceased may be a previously reported missing person from Santee, but identification is still pending from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The cause of death is still under investigation.