Family says 2 friends found shot to death had returned home to spread beloved dog’s ashes

DELAND, Fla. —

Two men were shot and killed in Florida while in town spreading the ashes of a beloved family dog, family members say.

The bodies of Dustin Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18, were found Wednesday in a vacant lot Wednesday in DeLand, Florida.

“At this time, we can tell you that our police investigation has revealed that both male subjects were each shot multiple times,” DeLand police Chief Jason Umberger said.

Both men grew up in Volusia County, Florida, but had moved away.

Rose, of DeLeon Springs, was living in South Carolina, where he was a student at The Citadel, a military college, and a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard.

Campbell, of DeLand, had been living with his aunt Karen Chobin in the Chicago area since December.

“These were very, very good boys that could have done really good in the world,” Chobin said.

Chobin said Campbell was visiting DeLand, where his father still lives, to grieve the death of his family’s 8-year-old dog, Hinata. He was staying with Rose’s grandparents.

“It was a traumatic loss. 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.

Chobin said Rose, also known as DJ, came down to DeLand from South Carolina to help Campbell spread Hinata’s ashes.

“(Campbell) was supposed to be coming back this weekend, and (Rose) was supposed to be going back to school on Tuesday,” Chobin said.

A photo captured by a surveillance camera early Tuesday evening shows what the two were last seen wearing.

Umberger said it’s unclear how long the two may have been deceased before their bodies were found Wednesday night.

“It’s very emotional. It’s sad. We’re very concerned about it. We are working as rapidly as we can to try to identify who is responsible for this,” Umberger said.

Chobin has a message for whoever that may be.

“We beg you to consider the people that are home grieving the losses of the lives that you took, and may they realize that nothing that they gained from that situation was worth the life of those two boys,” she said. “May they suffer with that knowledge for the rest of their lives.”

Chobin described Campbell as “the kindest soul.”

“His brain was like a puzzle, but in the most beautiful way. He could just see things that other people couldn’t and really cared with a level of compassion that people strive their whole lives to have,” she said.

As for Rose, Campbell’s best friend of many years, Chobin called him a “compassionate child.”

“When (Campbell) was grieving the loss of his dog, that boy was there in such an emotionally intelligent way that goes far beyond his age of 19 years old,” she said.

The South Carolina National Guard released the following statement on Rose’s death:

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Pvt. 1st 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.”

Umberger is asking the public to be patient and diligent as the investigation continues.

“Be aware of your surroundings, because we may have someone out there that perpetrated some violence, and we don’t know who that person is,” he said.

If you have any information about this case, contact the DeLand Police Department.