A Statesboro man is charged with aggravated assault after a shooting incident Monday afternoon in a wooded area off Northside Drive.

According to a release from Capt. Jared Akins with the Statesboro Police Department, SPD officers responded just before 4 p.m. Monday to the Octane Food Mart on Northside Drive East after a man came into the store suffering from a gunshot wound.  Akins said EMS arrived and transported the victim to East Georgia Regional Medical Center and from there to Memorial Health in Savannah. 

“The victim was able to communicate with detectives prior to his transport,” Akins said in the release. “The shooting of the victim did not take place inside of the store or involve its staff.  The incident was later determined to have occurred in a wooded area outside of the store.”

Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the store, which led them to identify a person and vehicle of interest. 

Using the Flock camera system, officers were able to locate and stop the suspect vehicle about two hours later and detain the three occupants, Akins said. 

Subsequent interviews and a search of the vehicle led detectives to charge James Deon Scott Jr., 38, of Success Court in Statesboro with aggravated assault. Akins said he was taken to the Bulloch County Jail, where he remains pending further judicial action. 

Information may be provided to Senior Detective Dustin Cross at (912) 764-9911 or by submitting an anonymous tip through the SPD website https://statesboropd.com/ using the "Submit a Tip" link.