WILMINGTON - The public could learn as early as today what prompted three heavily armed deputies to fire into the home of Peyton Strickland during a Dec. 1 raid that left the teenager dead.

New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David scheduled an afternoon news conference to discuss the findings of the State Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the fatal shooting of Strickland, 18. The Durham native was a student at Cape Fear Community College.

"No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection," David said last week. "I will go wherever the truth leads. I will look at this impartially and fairly; whatever the facts show is what will happen next in the courtroom."

On Friday, Sheriff Sid Causey fired one of three members of the sheriff's paramilitary Emergency Response Team who fired their weapons that night. Causey declined to say why Cpl. Christopher M. Long, 34, lost his job.

The other two deputies, Det. Larry Robinson, 34, and Sgt. Greg Johnson, 39, are on paid leave during the investigation, as is customary.

The team burst into Strickland's home about 9 p.m. Dec. 1 to secure it for UNC-Wilmington police standing by, Causey said. The campus police were hoping to arrest Strickland and two friends on felony charges of beating and robbing another college student of two PlayStation 3 video game consoles Nov. 17.

Bullets struck Strickland in the head and chest, killing him. A bullet that tore through his head had first passed through something else, probably the front door, according to the pathologist who did an autopsy of Strickland's body. Strickland's German shepherd, Blaze, was also shot to death during the incident.

Causey, a Democrat whom voters just re-elected to a four-year term, has suggested that he'll discipline the deputies if the shooting was not legally justified.

"To be honest, we're sick over it," said Causey, 62. "I have a son -- and I can't imagine losing him."

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.