Police in Florida say they have identified a 17-year-old suspect in the killings of a Citadel cadet and his childhood friend, who were found shot to death in DeLand.
The DeLand Police Department said investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for the teenager on two counts of second-degree murder.
The victims, 19-year-old Dustin Rose and 18-year-old Samson Campbell, were captured on surveillance footage walking along a sidewalk at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, the last time they were seen alive.
Surveillance footage shows Dustin Rose and Samson Campbell walking together Tuesday evening, one day before their bodies were discovered. (DeLand Police Department)
According to police, Rose and Campbell were discovered dead the following day in a vacant lot in downtown DeLand.
Rose was a cadet at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina and had returned home during a break. He was working toward a lifelong goal of military service and had recently joined the South Carolina Army National Guard.
Dustin Rose, 19, a Citadel cadet, was pursuing his childhood dream of serving in the military when he was killed. (GoFundMe)
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Authorities described the suspect as “armed and dangerous” and warned residents not to approach him. Anyone who sees him or has information about his whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately.
Childhood friends Dustin Rose, left, and Samson Campbell, right, were fatally shot in a vacant Florida lot as police search for a suspect. (DeLand Police Department)
According to Florida state law, it’s possible for the teen to be charged as an adult once he is arrested. A prosecutor can decide whether a minor will be tried as an adult, depending on the offense.
It was not immediately clear if the teen would be charged as an adult in this case.
News Outlet has reached out to the Volusia County State Attorney’s Office.
