A 22-year-old student was shot and killed inside his off-campus home Tuesday morning during what appeared to be a drug-related incident, county police said.

Prince George’s County Police Deputy Chief Kevin Davis would not disclose the student’s name until a next-of-kin is established, but said he rented the home he was shot in on 38th Avenue near University Courtyards.

Although Davis did not specify what drugs were involved, ABC7 reported that enough marijuana was found in the student’s home to suggest he was dealing drugs.

Police are in the process of interviewing several witnesses. Davis said police don’t know how many people were inside the house during the shooting.

The shooter was described as wearing a ski mask. Davis said police are looking for a black male who took off on foot toward Metzerott Road. He added there were no signs of forced entry and police have no vehicle description at this time.

Although he could not provide specific details from the initial investigation, Davis said he felt it was clear the student’s drug-related lifestyle led to his death.

“This was not a random act,” he said.

Davis hopes students close to the victim will offer county police help with their investigation. He urged anyone with information to contact police, adding they can do so anonymously.

This homicide is the 11th in a recent string of county murders that began at the beginning of the year. Davis said police believe eight of the 11 murders were tied to drugs.

“When you engage in a criminal lifestyle, you are going to cause someone enough concern to do you wrong,” Davis said.

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