Some serial killers choose and stalk their victims. BTK is an example. It is targeted but there is no relationship between the killer and their victims
I think they initially said this because they did not want to panic the community. Similarly, they said there was no danger to the public. How could they know that for sure at the time? The way it sounded back then made it seem like it they knew who the killer was. Or, that it was a murder-suicide, a drug overdose, or the like.
'Targeted' could mean the murderer randomly walked past the house and decided to go in and see if he could get into some trouble. Also, it could mean the murderer has a long-standing motive or anything in-between.
They may be keeping up the same 'targeted' phrasing to avoid sounding inconsistent which may make them look incompetent.