One victim was a Citadel cadet and National Guard soldier who had joined his friend for a memorial trip, relatives said.
DELAND, Fla. — Police are searching for whoever fatally shot two childhood friends at a vacant industrial property in downtown DeLand, where relatives found the young men after tracking a phone and becoming concerned when they stopped responding.
Dustin “DJ” Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18, were found with multiple gunshot wounds shortly before 10:40 p.m. July 29 near 213 W. New York Ave., according to the DeLand Police Department. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating the deaths as a double homicide and said Monday that no one was in custody.
Investigators said the property is near the Athens Theatre but is separate from the theater grounds. Police have not announced a motive, identified a suspect or said whether Rose and Campbell were targeted. Authorities have described the shooting as an isolated incident and increased patrols as residents and downtown business owners expressed concern about the unresolved killings.
Rose and Campbell were last seen together on surveillance video at about 6 p.m. July 28, one day before their bodies were found. The footage showed them walking along a sidewalk. Police released an image from the video while asking anyone who saw the two friends or noticed suspicious activity between that evening and the discovery to contact investigators.
Family members said Campbell had returned to Florida from the Chicago area after the death of his dog, Hinata. Relatives told news organizations that Rose joined his longtime friend to spread the dog’s ashes. Police have not said whether that plan was connected to the location where the two were killed or to the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Campbell had been living with his aunt in the Chicago area since December and was expected to return there during the weekend, according to his family. Rose was home on a break from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and was scheduled to return to school. Their families described the two as close friends who had known each other since childhood.
Rose was also a private first class in the South Carolina Army National Guard. His family said he hoped to build a career in military service. The Guard confirmed his membership and offered condolences to his relatives, friends and fellow service members. His aunt, Jaimie Scarola, said his death deprived the country of a young soldier who had been ready to serve others.
Campbell’s aunt, Karen Chobin, described both young men as kind and full of promise. She said Campbell had been deeply affected by his dog’s death and returned to his hometown to mourn. Instead of welcoming the young men back to their regular lives, their families began preparing funerals while detectives worked to determine who was responsible.
Police served a search warrant at a home on Loughton Street at about 10:30 p.m. Aug. 1 as part of the investigation. The operation involved DeLand officers, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Authorities have not disclosed what led them to the property, what evidence they sought or whether anything was seized.
DeLand police said detectives were pursuing several leads and working extended hours on the case. Officials also addressed rumors linking the killings to other recent incidents, saying investigators had found no evidence of such a connection. The department has not provided further details about the evidence collected at the crime scene or during the later search.
Police Chief Jason Umberger said investigators were working to determine what happened and were not prepared to speculate about a motive or whether the victims had been deliberately targeted. City officials urged people to share information even if it seemed minor, saying a seemingly small detail could help detectives establish a timeline or identify a person involved.
As of Tuesday, police had announced no arrests and had not publicly named a suspect. The Criminal Investigations Division continued seeking surveillance recordings, witness accounts and other information related to Rose and Campbell’s movements before their deaths.
Author note: Last updated August 4, 2026.