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Hikers find unidentified man’s body with gunshot wound on California trail

Hikers in Los Angeles stumbled across a man dead on a trail with a handgun nearby him — now authorities are investigating whether he was the victim of a crime.

The discovery was made around 6:30 a.m. Sunday at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena, which is about 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies said the unidentified man’s body was on a trail near the nature center’s parking lot — and a handgun was uncovered at the site.

He had suffered at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

“At this time, it is unknown if this shooting is criminal or accidental in nature,” deputies said in a statement.

Homicide detectives are handling the case and the investigation remains ongoing, authorities said.