A surveillance image shows the teenage friends together more than a day before officers discovered them fatally shot.
DELAND, Fla. — Detectives are working to reconstruct the final hours of two teenage friends found fatally shot near downtown DeLand, focusing on the period between their last known sighting Tuesday and the discovery of their bodies Wednesday night.
The victims were identified by police as Dustin Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18. Officers found them at 213 W. New York Ave. after being dispatched at about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of two deceased people.
Both young men had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene at 10:48 p.m., according to the DeLand Police Department. No suspect has been named, and investigators have not said what may have led to the shooting.
Police released a surveillance image showing Rose and Campbell together at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities described it as the last known image of the pair before their deaths, leaving investigators with a period of more than 24 hours to examine.
Detectives are seeking information from anyone who communicated with either victim, saw them after the surveillance image was recorded or noticed suspicious activity around the West New York Avenue property. Police have not disclosed where the image was captured.
Rose grew up in DeLeon Springs and was attending The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina, according to police and local reporting. He also served in the National Guard. Campbell had ties to DeLand and had recently moved to Chicago, police said.
Investigators were examining what brought both young men back to Central Florida and why they went to the property where they were found. Police have not determined publicly whether the shootings were random, whether the victims were targeted or whether another circumstance led them there.
The crime scene was at an industrial property near the Athens Theatre in downtown DeLand. Police said reports that the bodies were found on theater property were incorrect. The theater said its scheduled summer activities and evening performance would continue.
Police Chief Jason Umberger said his thoughts were with the victims and their families. He called the deaths tragic and said the department was working to find answers about what happened.
The case remained under investigation by the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. Police asked people with relevant information to contact detectives at 386-626-7400 or submit information through the department’s Crime Watch page.
Authorities had not announced an arrest or released a description of a possible suspect as of Friday. Police said they would provide further updates as detectives evaluate evidence and confirm additional facts.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.