Police are investigating the deaths of three hunters whose bodies were found in the Nebrodi mountain range in north-eastern Sicily. The case has raised questions about whether the men were killed in an accident or during a violent dispute.

The bodies of the hunters were discovered on Wednesday in open countryside near the town of Montagnareale. The victims were identified as 82-year-old Antonio Gatani and brothers Davis and Giuseppe Pino, aged 26 and 44.

Initial examinations found that all three men had gunshot wounds. Investigators have ordered autopsies and ballistic tests to determine the sequence of events and the weapons involved.

Carabinieri are questioning family members and acquaintances in an effort to reconstruct the men’s movements and interactions before their deaths. Investigators said none of the victims had a criminal record or known links to organised crime.

For this reason, police consider a mafia-style killing or organised score-settling unlikely. Attention has instead focused on scenarios linked to the hunting trip itself.

What was the sequence of events?

One hypothesis under consideration is that a firearm accident occurred during the outing. Another possibility is that an argument escalated, leading one of the men to shoot the other two before taking his own life.

The Nebrodi mountains are a sparsely populated area where hunting is common, particularly during the winter season. Investigators have secured the site where the bodies were found and carried out forensic surveys of the surrounding terrain.

Police said no conclusions would be drawn until the autopsy and ballistic results are available. The investigation remains ongoing.