DeLand Double Homicide: Case Documents, Videos and Analysis
LAST UPDATED: August 9, 2026
On July 29, 2026, two young men, Dustin “DJ” Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18, were found shot to death at 213 West New York Avenue in DeLand, Florida.
The discovery launched a double-homicide investigation that has since resulted in the arrest of a 17-year-old accused of the shootings and the separate arrest of his father, Daytron Winston Etkins, as an alleged accessory after the fact.
I have followed this investigation since its earliest stages, including visiting the crime scene in downtown DeLand, analyzing the investigative information as it became public, discussing the case with local and national news media, and producing continuing video analysis of the evidence.
As a retired homicide detective and Florida criminal defense lawyer, I have a somewhat unusual perspective on a case like this. I spent years investigating homicides from the law-enforcement side. I now evaluate criminal investigations from the defense side.
Those two perspectives do not always produce the same questions.
This page is intended to serve as a central location for the public records, media coverage, videos and legal analysis concerning the DeLand double homicide. I will continue updating it as additional records and reliable information become publicly available.
Important: This remains an active criminal case. Arrest affidavits contain allegations offered to establish probable cause. Allegations are not evidence of guilt, and every person accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The DeLand Double Homicide
DeLand police were called to the area behind the Athens Theatre on the night of July 29 after two bodies were discovered near a large trailer.
The actual crime scene was at 213 West New York Avenue, a separate industrial property located near the Athens Theatre.
The victims were subsequently identified as:
Dustin Thomas “DJ” Rose, 19
and
Samson Yamil Campbell, 18
According to the subsequent police affidavit, both men had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Police recovered their cellular phones and several other items that would later become significant to the investigation.
Among them were a firearm found with Campbell and a canister of pepper spray found in Rose’s hand.
Investigators also recovered approximately 3.4 grams of suspected cannabis near the victims.
Those details would become particularly important after investigators learned what the accused shooter allegedly told another person about what happened that evening.
My Original On-Scene Investigation
Shortly after the homicides, and before an arrest had been announced, I went to the actual crime scene in downtown DeLand.
Rather than speculate about who committed the murders, I approached the scene as I would have when I investigated homicides.
I discussed the questions detectives would likely be trying to answer:
- Why were the victims at this particular location?
- Who knew they were going there?
- Who had they communicated with immediately before their deaths?
- What surveillance cameras covered the surrounding area?
- What could their cellular phones reveal?
- What physical evidence had been left at the scene?
- Could investigators reconstruct the victims’ movements before the shooting?
- Did the victims know their killer?
Much of that investigative work subsequently became visible through the arrest affidavit.
Watch: My Original On-Scene Analysis
Surveillance Reconstructs the Victims’ Final Movements
According to the police affidavit, detectives conducted an extensive surveillance-camera canvass around downtown DeLand.
That effort allowed investigators to begin reconstructing what happened.
Surveillance reportedly captured Rose and Campbell in Chess Park at approximately 7:00 p.m. on July 28.
Police describe Campbell as pacing while talking on a cellular telephone and appearing anxious or uneasy.
At approximately 7:07 p.m., the call ended.
The two young men then began walking.
Another surveillance camera captured them at approximately 7:08 p.m. walking westbound toward the secluded area behind the Athens Theatre where their bodies would later be discovered.
But they weren’t the only people approaching that location.
The E-Bike Rider
At approximately 7:08 p.m., surveillance captured another individual riding an electric bicycle toward downtown DeLand.
Police describe the rider as wearing:
- A light-colored or white shirt;
- Peach or salmon-colored shorts; and
- A white bicycle helmet.
By approximately 7:11 p.m., the rider had reached the Athens Theatre area.
According to investigators, he stopped near the northwest corner of the theater for approximately seven or eight seconds and appeared to manipulate the front of his waistband.
The rider then entered the secluded area behind the theater.
He remained outside the view of surveillance cameras for approximately three minutes.
Then came the gunshots.
Eight Gunshots and an Eight-Second Gap
A Ring surveillance camera at the Athens Theatre captured audio from the area.
According to police, investigators heard eight gunshots.
But the timing may ultimately become important.
Police describe hearing:
Six gunshots.
Then approximately:
Eight seconds.
Then:
Two additional gunshots.
If this case ultimately involves a claim of self-defense, that eight-second interval could become significant.
Questions that may eventually need to be answered include:
- Who was struck by the first six shots?
- Who was struck by the final two?
- Where were the three individuals positioned?
- Did those positions change?
- What do the wound trajectories show?
- At what distances were the shots fired?
- Was either victim incapacitated before the final shots?
- Was a threat still occurring when the final two shots were fired?
Those questions cannot presently be answered from the affidavit alone.
They will require additional evidence, including medical-examiner findings, ballistics, trajectory analysis and potentially the surveillance recordings themselves.
What Police Found at the Crime Scene
The physical evidence described in the affidavit is important because it complicates the case considerably.
Police found Samson Campbell with a CZ P-10 C 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
According to the affidavit, the pistol did not have a round in the chamber. A 15-round magazine containing 14 rounds was inserted in the firearm.
Dustin Rose was found with a small canister of self-defense pepper spray in his right hand.
Police also recovered five spent shell casings.
Subsequent testing determined that the firearm recovered with Campbell was not the firearm that fired the recovered shell casings.
That does not tell us whether Campbell displayed or attempted to use his firearm during the encounter.
It does tell us that police actually found a firearm with Campbell.
That distinction matters.
Evidence of Pepper-Spray Exposure
Surveillance reportedly captured the e-bike rider leaving the area immediately after the shooting.
At approximately 7:16 p.m., investigators observed the rider repeatedly wiping his face and spitting.
Detective Kyle Welch wrote that, based upon his training and personal experience with OC spray, such behavior can be consistent with someone attempting to alleviate the effects of exposure to a chemical agent.
Remember:
Rose was subsequently found with pepper spray in his hand.
Police would later discover another piece of evidence arguably consistent with pepper-spray exposure.
Police Search the Suspect’s DeLand Residence
On August 1, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence on Loughton Street in DeLand associated with the accused shooter.
Inside the garage, detectives found a black e-bike they considered consistent with the bicycle depicted traveling to and from the homicide scene.
The house also contained something potentially much more valuable to investigators:
A surveillance system.
Cameras covered multiple areas inside and outside the residence.
Police seized the DVR and obtained another search warrant authorizing extraction of the recorded surveillance footage.
The house had effectively recorded portions of the aftermath itself.
The Suspect Returns Home
According to the affidavit, home-surveillance footage shows the suspect returning on the e-bike wearing clothing consistent with that depicted on the outside surveillance recordings.
Investigators say he entered the residence, removed his bicycle helmet and shirt, paced around the house, jumped up and down and talked on his cellphone.
Then he went into the kitchen.
According to police, he opened a container of milk and poured milk onto his face.
Detectives interpreted that conduct as another apparent attempt to counteract the effects of pepper spray.
That evidence may become particularly significant because of what the accused shooter allegedly told a witness about the shooting.
The Alleged Self-Defense Account
One of the most significant witnesses described in the affidavit is identified only as CS #2.
She was 13 years old.
According to the affidavit, the accused shooter called her at approximately 8:00 p.m. on the night of the shooting. She described him as panicked and said he begged her to come to his house.
She later told detectives that he described what had happened behind the Athens Theatre.
According to CS #2, the accused said he had gone there to sell marijuana to Rose and Campbell.
She told investigators that he claimed:
- One of the young men had a firearm;
- The other had pepper spray;
- They attempted to rob him of the marijuana;
- One went behind him;
- Someone attempted to spray him;
- A gun was allegedly pointed at him;
- He was allegedly threatened with death; and
- He “panicked,” grabbed his firearm and shot both men.
She further reported that the accused said he had “left the gun there.”
This account is important, but its evidentiary status needs to be understood.
It is not a judicial finding that the shooting was self-defense.
It is a witness recounting what she says the accused shooter told her.
Nevertheless, several pieces of physical evidence described by police appear potentially consistent with portions of that account:
A firearm was found with Campbell.
Pepper spray was found with Rose.
Cannabis was recovered from the scene.
Surveillance appears to show the e-bike rider exhibiting symptoms detectives considered consistent with pepper-spray exposure.
That does not establish lawful self-defense.
But it makes self-defense an issue that cannot responsibly be evaluated without examining the complete evidence.
Daytron Etkins Enters the Story
This brings us to the arrest of Daytron Winston Etkins, the accused shooter’s father.
According to CS #2, the accused shooter called his father after the shooting and gave him the same basic account of what had occurred.
The witness said the accused told Etkins that he had “left the gun there.”
According to her statement, Etkins came to the residence and father and son discussed needing to “go get it.”
She also told investigators that the accused later said they had found the firearm, although she did not know what subsequently happened to it.
The State does not rely solely upon her statement.
Police say surveillance evidence corroborates portions of it.
Police Say Father and Son Returned Toward the Crime Scene
The home’s surveillance system reportedly shows Etkins arriving in a gold Chevrolet Tahoe.
Investigators describe Etkins and his son talking extensively inside the residence, with both appearing anxious.
Father and son subsequently leave in the Tahoe.
Police then located additional surveillance footage.
At approximately 8:50 p.m., the Tahoe was recorded traveling toward the Athens Theatre.
Additional cameras captured it in the vicinity of the theater before it eventually returned to the residence.
Detectives state in the affidavit that this surveillance evidence is consistent with CS #2’s account that Etkins and his son returned to the scene to retrieve the firearm discarded after the shooting.
Again, that is the prosecution’s probable-cause theory.
It has not yet been proven at trial.
The Backyard Fire
The home-surveillance system also captured activity in the backyard.
According to investigators, the accused shooter carried a white shirt and peach or salmon-colored shorts toward a charcoal grill.
Those colors were consistent with the clothing police say the e-bike rider wore around the time of the homicide.
Etkins allegedly moved the grill closer to the patio.
The affidavit states that an umbrella was positioned in a manner that obstructed the surveillance camera’s view of the grill.
Investigators then describe the use of accelerant and flames erupting from the grill. Later, a small red gas container was allegedly used to intensify the fire.
When police searched the residence, they discovered what appeared to be burned clothing inside the charcoal grill.
These allegations form an important part of the State’s theory that Etkins knowingly assisted his son after the shootings.
The Flock Camera Connection
There is another interesting element to the investigation.
Flock automated license plate reader technology appears in the affidavit.
Investigators queried information concerning the gold Chevrolet Tahoe through the Flock database as part of their effort to identify and corroborate Etkins and the vehicle associated with him.
I have been outspoken about the privacy and constitutional implications of widespread automated license plate surveillance.
That does not mean legitimate investigative uses should be ignored.
This case provides a real-world example of how ALPR technology can become part of a serious homicide investigation while simultaneously illustrating why the larger debate over retention, access, oversight and mass surveillance deserves careful examination.
Both things can be true.
The Arrest of Daytron Winston Etkins
DeLand Police ultimately alleged that there was probable cause to charge Etkins as an accessory after the fact in connection with the second-degree murder investigation.
The affidavit identifies the charge under Florida Statute § 777.03.
The probable-cause narrative concludes that Etkins allegedly assisted his son after the commission of the second-degree murders.
Etkins is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
The affidavit represents the allegations supporting his arrest. Whether the State can prove those allegations beyond a reasonable doubt is a different question.
Read the Daytron Etkins Arrest Affidavit
I am providing the actual arrest affidavit below so members of the community can read the document themselves rather than relying solely upon news reports, social-media posts or my interpretation of it.
Daytron Winston Etkins Arrest Affidavit
The affidavit is 14 pages and contains the DeLand Police Department’s detailed probable-cause narrative concerning both the underlying double homicide and the allegations against Etkins.
Self-Defense or Double Murder?
The investigation has now reached a very different stage.
Initially, the primary question was:
Who killed Dustin Rose and Samson Campbell?
Police now believe they have identified the person who fired the shots.
The larger legal question may eventually become:
Why were those shots fired?
From the prosecution perspective, investigators have identified substantial evidence they may argue demonstrates consciousness of guilt:
- Leaving the scene;
- Failing to report the shooting;
- Allegedly discarding the firearm;
- Allegedly returning to retrieve it; and
- Allegedly destroying clothing associated with the shooting.
But the potential defense cannot simply ignore the physical evidence either.
A firearm was actually recovered with Campbell.
Pepper spray was actually recovered with Rose.
Cannabis was actually recovered at the scene.
And surveillance evidence described by police arguably corroborates exposure to pepper spray.
Then there are the eight gunshots.
Six shots.
Approximately eight seconds.
Two more shots.
Before reaching any responsible conclusion about self-defense, I want to see much more evidence.
That includes:
- Autopsy reports;
- Wound trajectories;
- Shooting distances;
- Ballistics;
- Firearm examination;
- Pepper-spray testing;
- DNA and fingerprint evidence;
- Complete surveillance recordings;
- Cellular-phone evidence; and
- Complete witness statements.
The evidence, not the headline, should ultimately determine what happened.
Watch: Self-Defense or Double Murder?
In my latest long-form analysis, I reconstruct the events described in the affidavit and examine the evidence from two very different perspectives:
The retired homicide detective who wants to determine what happened.
And:
The criminal defense lawyer who wants to know whether the State can actually prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
Inside the Investigation: DeLand Double Homicide
Television News Interviews
I have also discussed the DeLand double homicide with television news organizations as the investigation has developed.
FOX News Interview
WESH Channel 2 News Orlando
In these interviews, I discuss the investigation from the perspective of a retired homicide detective and criminal defense lawyer and explain what investigators would likely be looking for as they attempted to identify the person responsible.
Patrick J. McGeehan is a retired homicide detective and Florida criminal defense lawyer. His analysis of this case is based on publicly available court records, law-enforcement documents, media reports and his experience investigating homicides and defending criminal cases. Nothing on this page should be interpreted as a determination of guilt or innocence.
Frequently Asked Questions About the DeLand Double Homicide
Who were the victims in the DeLand double homicide?
The victims were Dustin “DJ” Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18. Both men were found shot to death at 213 West New York Avenue in DeLand, Florida.
Where did the DeLand double homicide occur?
The victims were found at 213 West New York Avenue in downtown DeLand, near the Athens Theatre. Police have clarified that the crime scene was on a separate industrial property and not part of the theater itself.
Who has been arrested in connection with the DeLand double homicide?
Police have arrested a 17-year-old accused of the shootings. The accused shooter’s father, Daytron Winston Etkins, was also arrested and charged as an alleged accessory after the fact.
What is Daytron Etkins accused of doing?
According to the arrest affidavit, police allege Etkins helped his son after the shootings, including allegedly returning toward the crime scene to recover a discarded firearm and participating in events surrounding the destruction of clothing believed to be evidence.
Is the accused shooter claiming self-defense?
According to a witness identified in the police affidavit as CS #2, the accused shooter allegedly said the victims attempted to rob him during a marijuana transaction, that one had a gun and the other had pepper spray, and that he fired after being threatened. This is an allegation contained in the affidavit, not a judicial finding that the shooting was lawful self-defense.
What evidence potentially supports the self-defense claim?
Police reported that one victim was found with a firearm, the other with pepper spray, cannabis was recovered from the scene, and surveillance allegedly showed the accused shooter behaving in a manner detectives considered consistent with pepper-spray exposure.
What evidence could hurt a self-defense claim?
Investigators allege the accused shooter left the scene, did not call police, discarded his firearm, later returned toward the scene, and was involved in the destruction of clothing. Prosecutors may argue those actions show consciousness of guilt.
Why are the eight gunshots important?
According to police, surveillance audio captured six shots, followed by an approximately eight-second pause, and then two additional shots. That timing could become important when investigators and attorneys examine wound trajectories, victim positions, shooting distances and whether a threat was still occurring.
What is an accessory after the fact under Florida law?
Generally, an accessory after the fact is someone who allegedly assists another person after a crime has been committed, knowing or having reason to know the person committed the offense, with the intent to help that person avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment.
Was Flock camera technology used in the investigation?
Yes. According to the affidavit, investigators used information from the Flock automated license plate reader system as part of identifying and corroborating a vehicle associated with Daytron Etkins.
Where can I read the arrest affidavit?
The Daytron Etkins arrest affidavit is available on this page so readers can review the allegations directly rather than relying solely on media summaries.
Will this page be updated?
Yes. This page will be updated as additional public records, court filings, surveillance evidence, charging documents and other reliable information become available.
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