Newton County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested one man and discovered marijuana and a firearm when they responded to a call of shots being fired during an argument regarding an alleged drug deal-gone-bad, according to the NCSO.

 Deputies arrived shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday responding to an anonymous call of a shot being fired at a house on Kirkland Road and found a large group standing around in the driveway.

 The group quickly dispersed, with several running into the woods pursued by deputies. Though the deputies were unable to catch the fleeing persons, they did find two clear plastic bags of what appeared to be marijuana and a 9-mm Norinco handgun without a magazine and the serial number scratched out.

 According to NCSO spokesperson Lt. Mark Mitchell, the remaining individuals interviewed did not identify the people who had run but said that there had been an argument over a marijuana transaction and that a person had fired a gun into the air.

 Deputies discovered four warrants from Clarkston for Rashard Nelson Brown, 19, of Conyers, who was placed under arrest.

 "The officers arrived pretty soon after the call and were able to handle the situation before it got out of hand," said Mitchell.

 There have already been six homicides in Newton County for 2008. The first incident involved a reported drug deal dispute on Jan.1 when Courtney Thornton allegedly shot Dennis Rogers, 39.