ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — The Alamance County Sheriff's Office held a news conference on the double murder deputies are investigating in Graham.
Deputies say the deadly shooting happened Monday night on Payne Road.
Investigators say 31-year-old Justin Ramirez fled the scene, and was on the run for hours. An Asheboro police officer spotted Ramirez's stolen car at a BP gas station, and arrested him on the spot.
Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson says Ramirez used a 'high-powered rifle' to shoot Jerry Williamson and Williamson's grandson, Steven Somers.
Sheriff Johnson says they all knew each other.
In fact, the sheriff says Ramirez was a fugitive hiding out on Williamson's property because of unrelated felony breaking and entering charges out of Haw River.
He says Ramirez had been living in a shed on Williamson's land with Somers since August.
The Sheriff says the murder motive might be a verbal fight that Ramirez and Williamson got into on Monday afternoon over shooting rifles on the property.
"Mr. Williamson had left his residence to tell the individual to stop firing the rifle because of scaring Mr. Williamson's dogs," Sheriff Johnson said.
The Sheriff says Ramirez and Somers were supposedly friends before Ramirez is believed to have shot Somers to death.
"In talking with family members of the suspect, there was drugs involved in this young mans life," the sheriff said. "Talking with the other family of Mr. Somers they have been put out of the house because of behavior and that's why they were living next door."
Ramirez made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon in a room filled with the victims' family members.
The District Attorney says the death penalty is being discussed.
Deputies say victim Somers was in his 30's, and Williamson was in his 60's.