As an investigation continued Monday over the Sunday morning shooting in Flanders that left Demitri Hampton, 21, dead, police said that he might not have been the intended target of the crime.
"At the moment, there is nothing to indicate that he's anything other than an innocent victim," said Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick, commander of the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad.
Hampton was killed Sunday after a break-in at his Flanders residence.
According to Fitzpatrick, two armed gunmen broke down the door.
"There was a struggle with the victim and he was shot," Fitzpatrick said.
He added that while it is not immediately clear if the gunmen had a target, who that target was, or why the house was chosen, he said, "We are certainly keeping an open mind. It is possible this could be drug related -- we can't rule it out."
Several others were in the house at the time of the shooting, Fitzpatrick said, but no names or ages have been released; it is not clear if there were children in the home at the time.
Hampton, he said, had no criminal record. "Why he's dead, is not clear," Fitzpatrick said. "There is nothing to indicate that he'd done anything wrong. Why that house was picked and the circumstances of his death are still to be investigated."
Family and friends have been mourning Hampton's death.
Fitzpatrick said anyone with information about the shooting should call 1-800-TIPS.
