UPDATE: 4 p.m. Thursday, July 5, 2012 

The McHenry County Coroner's Office said Michael Nolan, 21, of McHenry, was the man found deceased near the bicycle path entrance on Lorraine Drive in Crystal Lake early Thursday morning.

Preliminary investigations suggest Nolan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound either late Wednesday, July 4, or early Thursday morning, said Deputy Coroner Curt Bradshaw. Nolan was last seen alive at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in McHenry, Bradshaw said. The investigation is ongoing.

Police were called to the bike path, located off Lorraine Drive just north of Route 176 near Veteran Acres, early Thursday morning, responding to a report that a man was lying unconscious and bleeding near the path, said Crystal Lake Police Commander of Operations Derek Hyrkas.

The Crystal Lake Police Department assisted with the response.

Crystal Lake Park District Executive Director Jason Herbster, speaking on behalf of the park police, said Thursday afternoon that Veteran Acres, Sterne's Woods and the bicycle path are safe for the public to continue using.

The Lorraine Avenue parking area provides access to the Prairie Trail bicycle path, which leads through the Veteran Acres and Sterne's Woods nature areas.

The death is the third in the past three years to occur in the Veteran Acres area, located near Route 176 and Walkup Road.