Police found the two young men at a vacant industrial property near the Athens Theatre and have not identified a suspect.
DELAND, FL — Two childhood friends were found shot to death late Wednesday at a vacant industrial property in downtown DeLand, prompting a double-homicide investigation, police said.
Officers were sent at about 10:40 p.m. July 29 to 213 W. New York Ave., a property behind the historic Athens Theatre. They found two young men with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the DeLand Police Department. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police identified the victims as Dustin Rose, 19, formerly of DeLeon Springs, and Samson Campbell, 18, formerly of DeLand. Authorities said the two had been friends since childhood. Investigators had not determined Thursday whether the men were deliberately targeted or killed in a random attack.
Rose was a student at The Citadel, the military college in South Carolina, and served in the National Guard, police said. Campbell had recently moved to Chicago. Investigators were working to determine why both men, who had been living outside the area, had returned to Florida.
DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said detectives were trying to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting. Police had not announced a possible motive, identified a suspect or released information about any weapon connected to the killings.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families today,” Umberger said. “This is a tragic situation for all involved, and my department is working to find the answers as to what happened.”
Detectives continued canvassing the downtown area Thursday for surveillance recordings and other evidence. Police asked anyone who saw unusual activity or had contact with Rose or Campbell between Tuesday evening and Wednesday night to speak with investigators.
Although early reports described the victims as being found on Athens Theatre property, police said the shooting scene was on a separate, vacant industrial parcel nearby. The theater is one of downtown DeLand’s best-known landmarks and has hosted concerts, plays and community programs since opening in 1922.
The Athens Theatre said its Thursday summer classes and scheduled evening performance would continue. Police said there was no continuing threat to the public, and officials did not announce road closures connected to the investigation.
No arrests had been made as of Thursday evening. The DeLand Police Department said the investigation remained active and asked people with information to contact its Criminal Investigations Division at 386-626-7400 or submit information through the department’s Crime Watch portal.
Author note: Last updated July 30, 2026.