Injured man told police someone shot him. California police said he shot himself.

Police investigating a shooting outside a National City strip mall early Thursday determined the 31-year-old victim actually shot himself, a police official said.

Someone called 911 to report a shooting on Highland Avenue near East 24th Street around 2:25 a.m. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the lower portion of his body, said police Sgt. Mark Segal. The man told officers he had been shot by somebody.

He was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was reported to be stable. A handgun was recovered.

Investigators looking into the incident determined that the man had shot himself. That determination was  “based on evidence that was recovered at the scene,” Segal said. He said police talked to a witness and also looked to see if any surveillance video was available.

Segal said he wasn’t sure if the gun was in the man’s pocket or in his waistband when it went off. Investigators will determine whether any charges should be filed in connection with the shooting, he said.