An individual walking in a heavily wooded area off Brown Road in unincorporated Buford Thursday afternoon made a gruesome discovery.

According to Gwinnett County Police, the individual found a human skull and scattered skeletal remains a few hundred yards off Brown Road between Sunny Hill Road and Morgan Road. The entire area is located off Gravel Springs Road, a short distance from the Mall of Georgia.

"It appears that the bones have been there for quite some time," said GCPD public information officer Cpl. Ed Ritter in a released statement.

The Gwinnett County Police Department Homicide Unit is investigating. The search for additional remains continues today, Ritter added.

The remains are believed to be those of a black or Hispanic male. The exact cause of death has not been determined.