An investigation continues into the death of a 46-year-old St. Charles County man who authorities say died from a shotgun blast. They are trying to determine if the death was a suicide and what role a 12-year-old girl may have played in the incident. The July 1 shooting was initially reported as a suicide, but local law enforcement officials are waiting for autopsy reports before officially ruling on who pulled the trigger. The deceased man was identified as John Johnson, of St. Charles County. The man was found dead from a shotgun wound to his chest on a private drive off Pinckney Street around noon. The rural area where the man's body was found is outside the city limits of Warrenton and Truesdale. Prior to the shooting, a 12-year-old girl willingly climbed into Johnson's U-haul van outside her Lake Saint Louis home according to officials. The girl was unharmed and was returned to her family, Sheriff Kevin Harrison reported. According to the sheriff's weekly crime report released last week, the incident was listed as a homicide/voluntary manslaughter. "We're investigating either a suicide or a homicide," Harrison confirmed. He added, "We have to investigate all the possible options. We're still awaiting the autopsy reports." Warren County Coroner Roger Mauzy said an autopsy was performed July 5, but that results could take up to a month before any other information is known. He declined to provide any more details due to the ongoing investigation. The girl told deputies Johnson shot himself in front of her. She then ran to a nearby home. Harrison said he believes Johnson knew police were looking for him prior to the shooting. No information about the relationship between Johnson and the girl has been released. According to media reports, the man was described as a family friend. The girl's mother called 911 around 10 a.m. when she saw her daughter climb into a U-haul van being driven by Johnson along View Point Lane in Lake Saint Louis. The girl had told her mother she was going to a friend's house, police said. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's bomb squad responded and cleared the scene off Pinckney Street after Johnson apparently told the girl he was in possession of explosives.