Authorities suspect gang members involved in 7 killings at marijuana grow
Authorities say they suspect gang members of Laotian descent were involved in the 2020 shooting deaths of seven people at an illegal marijuana growing operation in a small Southern California community
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Authorities say they suspect gang members of Laotian descent were involved in the 2020 shooting deaths of seven people at an illegal marijuana growing operation in a small, rural Southern California town.
Riverside County Sheriff's investigators also have identified a mid-size, dark-colored SUV that was believed to be used during the killings in the remote community of Aguanga, the agency said in a news release.
Authorities said they believe the killings were a targeted incident and will discuss the investigation at a news conference Friday.
The announcement comes more than four years after the killing of seven victims, all who were Laotian. Six people were found dead on the property, and a woman who was shot there died later at a hospital.
More than 20 people lived on the property, which had makeshift dwellings and a nursery. More 1,000 marijuana plants and several hundred pounds of processed marijuana were found at the site.
The state broadly legalized recreational marijuana sales in January 2018. But the illicit market continued, partly because hefty legal marijuana taxes sent consumers looking for better deals in the illegal economy.
Aguanga is a small mountainous community about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of San Diego with horse ranches along dirt roads.