PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man’s unprovoked rage over the location of a basketball hoop ended with the deaths of a couple after they were gunned down in Florida.
The murders took place Saturday in the Black Diamond residential neighborhood in Wellington, a village in Palm Beach County. The gunman was identified by law enforcement officials as 63-year-old Norman Scott. He is accused of, maliciously and without provocation, killing a husband and wife, identified as Taylor Glenn Jones and Tara Marie Jones. Both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the deadly attack, Law&Crime reported.
On May 4 at about 5:25 p.m., deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in the 10500 block of Galleria St., Wellington.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release, “Sadly, we discovered a man and a woman deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Norman Scott, the suspect, engaged in an altercation with the victims, resulting in this devastating outcome. Our Violent Crimes Division detectives are investigating this case as a double homicide. Scott has been arrested.”
Last night we responded to a tragic shooting incident around 5:25 pm, in the 10500 block of Galleria St., Wellington. Sadly, we discovered a man and a woman deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Norman Scott, the suspect, engaged in an altercation with the victims, resulting in… pic.twitter.com/ZKhB1KBRAh
— PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) May 5, 2024
According to a PBSO probable cause affidavit, a witness told authorities they heard gunfire just before 5:30 p.m. and came out to see what took place.
The witness found the Jones couple “on the ground bleeding profusely,” and tried to provide medical aid.
Scott reportedly emerged from his house as this was unfolding and said, “Don’t worry, I shot them both,” according to the witness.
The man told authorities that he had a conflict with the couple regarding the placement of a “basketball hoop and property boundaries.” He said they attacked him, and the shooting was in self-defense.
However, video evidence of the deadly encounter told a different story and did not support his version of events.
Investigators obtained a warrant to review surveillance footage from Scott’s property. Of the eight cameras that were in place, two were pointed directly where the couple ended up being shot, Law&Crime reported.
Security video revealed the men were within five to 10 feet of each other. During the encounter, Jones held nothing more than a Gatorade bottle.
Detectives noted, “at no point during this encounter” was Jones “captured being aggressive, threatening, volatile, belligerent,” according to the affidavit.
“However, the surveillance cameras capture Norman Scott, who was clearly upset and appeared to be yelling at Taylor Jones. They both appeared to be looking and pointing toward a basketball hoop resting between both residences … Norman Scott was aggressively and belligerently pointing and waving his right hand in Taylor Jones’ face. In response, all Taylor Jones was captured doing was essentially downplaying the nonthreatening hand gestures,” investigators wrote.
During the confrontation, Scott pulled a handgun from his right pocket and began firing multiple rounds at Taylor Jones. The man was struck by gunfire and stumbled backward before falling to the ground, the surveillance footage showed, according to the affidavit.
Meanwhile, the man’s wife, Tara Jones, was less than 30 feet away, watching her husband get shot.
Footage then showed her retreating as the gunman advanced opening fire on the woman.
Tara Jones suffered three gunshot wounds, one round to each leg and another to her upper chest.
As Scott walked back toward his residence, investigators said he was seen “passing Taylor Jones, who was lying on the ground.”
“Norman Scott proceeds to shoot Taylor Jones two additional times,” investigators wrote.
“The video surveillance evidence unequivocally establishes the shooting was completely malicious and unprovoked,” detectives concluded in the affidavit.
Scott is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm. He is being held without bond at the Main Detention Center. The accused killer is next scheduled to appear in court on July 11.
