Two shootings tied to pot

Two recent marijuana-related shootings in the foothills left one man dead and another with a gunshot wound to the face.

On Nov. 26, a homeowner in Palermo shot a man during an alleged home invasion, according to a Butte County Sheriff’s Office press release. The motive for the attempted robbery “appears to be marijuana-related,” the release said. The intruder—who has not been identified—died after being transported to a local hospital.

On Nov. 28, deputies received a report of a shooting on Long Point Road in Feather Falls and found the victim, who was shot in the face, parked in a car on Lumpkin Road. The victim was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries.

The suspect, since identified as 29-year-old Jonathon Leonard Scott (pictured), escaped arrest by fleeing into the woods and remains at large. Scott’s motive remains a question, though a large illegal marijuana garden was discovered on the Long Point Road property.