Home were visitor was shot had pot inside

A man staying with friends in Colorado woke in the middle of the night to find masked home intruders, and police are now saying he was shot at, possibly because of a marijuana grow operation at the house.

The 73-year-old victim heard the men around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Police say two suspects broke into the house, in the area of Julian Street and Westminster Place, where the victim was staying.

"They came back there and just took the gun and point blank shot him," said Rose Carr, the victim's wife.

The man will undergo surgery for a gunshot wound and is expected to survive. He is in town from out-of-state for a model train convention. His wife told Denver7's Liz Gelardi the bullet shattered his shoulder and he needs extensive surgery.

Westminster Police report there was a large marijuana grow and hash operation at the home, which may have been the motivation for this robbery.

Carr said she was not aware marijuana was growing in the home.

"There is no reason that we know of at this time for them to shoot him, I mean he was just in bed and they came back there and just took the gun and point blank shot him," said Carr.

Investigators could not say how many plants they found inside. Police are still trying to determine whether or not the grow operation is legal.

“You know people have these in their homes, and when people know where you live and they need product or things like that they’ll go to great extent to get it and that’s the scary part of this whole marijuana law," said Cheri Spottke, an investigator with the Westminster Police Department.

Police also say the victim in this case is an innocent bystander.

If anyone has information they are asked to call the Westminster Police Department at 303-658-4360 or Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).