A man found dead in the driveway of a Dale County home Saturday was fatally mauled by a pack of dogs, not shot as investigators initially believed.

Ozark-Dale County E911 received a call about 9:15 a.m. Saturday of an unresponsive man in the 5500 block of County Road 33 in the Skipperville community, said Sheriff Mason Bynum.

When deputies arrived, they found 27-year-old Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, of Skipperville, dead on the scene. It initially appeared he had been shot in the head.

Bynum on Sunday said investigators and a crime scene technicians processed the victim and collected statements from witnesses, there were some inconsistencies and a lack of physical evidence to support those initial thoughts.

Investigators carried out a search warrant on the residence where the victim was discovered lying near the driveway. In that search investigators collected a home security surveillance system DVR which captured multiple views of the exterior of the home.

During a review of the surveillance footage investigators were able to determine that the victim was present inside the home prior to the incident.

It appears, the sheriff said, that as the victim was exiting the residence a dog became aggressive towards the victim.

The victim began to run down the driveway as two or three more dogs joined in on the attack.

The video showed McKenzie tripping near the base of the driveway as more dogs joined in on the attack.

At one point, five to six dogs were seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggled to stand.

After a few minutes, the dogs overpowered McKenzie and he appeared to become incapacitated.

“Although this does not make this event any less tragic, we hope this will allow the victim’s family to continue to grieve with a sense of closure,’’ Bynum said. “Late Saturday night, I met with the victim’s mother and family and provided them with our findings.”

Bynum said the investigation is ongoing. He thanked the Ozark Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division and Crime Scene Unit, as well as ALEA SBI agents, for their help in the probe.

“We will continue with the investigative process,’’ Bynum said, “and consult with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams on what steps to take as we move forward.”