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What was meant to be one final act of love for a cherished family dog ended in an unspeakable nightmare.
Childhood friends Dustin “DJ” Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18, — who had traveled back to their hometown of DeLand, Florida, to spread the ashes of Campbell’s beloved pup Hinata — were found dead in a vacant lot a little before 11 p.m. on Wednesday, according to DeLand police.
Both young men had been shot multiple times. Police pronounced them dead at the scene.
Police immediately launched an investigation into the double-homicide.
Campbell had been living with his aunt, Karen Chobin, in the Chicago area since December, and Rose was home on a break from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, where he was pursuing his dream of serving in the military. He had recently joined the South Carolina Army National Guard.
“He was willing to go to the front line and fight for our freedom, including the freedom of the one who took him from us,” Rose’s aunt, Jaimie Scarola, told Fox 35. “You took him away from not only his family, but you robbed an entire country of a future soldier who didn’t get to answer that call.”
The Citadel military college. He looked forward to a life serving his country, said his aunt.
“These were very, very good boys that could have done really good in the world,” Chobin told WESH 2.
“It was a traumatic loss [of Hinata]. It wasn’t a passing of old age. It was awful. And then for this to be what he’s welcomed with when he goes down there to mourn his loss is devastating,” she said.
“(Campbell) was supposed to be coming back this weekend, and (Rose) was supposed to be going back to school on Tuesday,” Chobin added.
Instead of returning to their lives, their families are now planning funerals.
The pair was last seen walking together Tuesday evening, surveillance video showed. Police released an image of the footage to the public.
Adding to the devastation, authorities say the mother of one victim may have been among the relatives who discovered the young men after they failed to answer calls for hours.
Police have not announced a motive or identified any suspects, and detectives are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the DeLand Police Department through Crime Watch or by contacting the Criminal Investigations Division at 386-626-7400.
“This is a tragic situation for all involved, and my department is working to find the answers as to what happened,” DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said.
The South Carolina National Guard said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Private First Class Rose. On behalf of the Soldiers, Airmen and leadership of the South Carolina National Guard, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fellow service members during this difficult time.”
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