Hofstra University Student Killed By Police Officer's Bullet While The Victim Was In A Headlock By The Alleged Suspect

The Hofstra University student killed was due to an accidental death from a shot by a police officer on the scene after 2 a.m. Friday.

Andrea Rebello was a 21-year-old junior at the campus in Uniondale, N.Y. when an armed-intruder entered her home, which while in a standoff with police was when the Hofstra University student killed took place.

The suspect, Dalton Smith, 30, entered the home when someone went outside to move a car around 2 a.m. on Friday, according to police.

Smith was apparently unsatisfied with the valuables in the home and sent one of the Rebello's roommates to an ATM, Detective Lt. John Azzata of the Nassau County Police Department said at a press conference before the Hofstra University student killed after police arrived when the person sent to the ATM called the police.

"He said if she wasn't back in eight minutes, he'd kill one of the individuals in the house," Azzata said.

When police arrived on the scene, Rebello was put in a headlock, while her twin sister and others were still in the house. The gunman allegedly pointed his gun at the officer and that's when the two exchanged gunshots.

"The officer eventually fired eight rounds in total," Azzata said. "Seven of those rounds struck our subject, one of those rounds struck the victim."

It wasn't until Saturday when forensics identified that one of the bullets from the police officer was the one to kill Rebello. That officer who fired the shots has yet to be identified, but is on sick-leave and did serve 12 years as a police officer.

As graduation still went on as schedule Sunday, Azzata decided to make the trip to Rebello's home this weekend to tell her parents himself that it was a bullet from the police officer that killed their daughter. He went to her home of Tarrytown, N.Y.

"I felt obligated as a police commissioner and as a parent to inform them as soon as all the forensic results were completed," he said.

Smith has not been arrested.