Popular designer shot dead in taxi
- girlfriend, driver wounded
By: Romila Boodram
Popular Mashramani Costume Designer and Events Coordinator Trevor Rose was shot dead early yesterday while travelling in a taxi with a close female friend.
The shooting, which occurred just before 05:00 hrs at the traffic light on the Eccles, Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has also left the driver of the car, Troy Nieuenkerk, 30, and Rose’s ex-fiancee, Latoya Towler, 29, nursing gunshot wounds at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The now dead Trevor Rose and the injured Latoya Towler in happier times
Rose, a 33-year-old father of eight, was shot about six times about his body. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC.
Towler, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was shot in the buttock while the driver, Nieunkerk, sustained a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.
Police in a press release said that about 05:00hrs yesterday, Nieuenkerk, was driving his car along the Eccles Access Road with occupants Rose and Towler when the occupant of another vehicle drove up and accosted Nieuenkerk about how he was driving.
According to the release, an argument ensued between the two drivers during which the suspect emerged from his vehicle with a firearm and discharged several rounds at Nieuenkerk and his passengers before escaping.
Police said that a 9mm. pistol along with 19 matching rounds was recovered from the scene.
Despite his injury, Nieunkerk, of Diamond, EBD managed to drive to the GPHC with the now dead Rose and the injured Towler.
Kaieteur News was told that Rose and his ex-fiancee had just left a Waterloo Street restaurant, after spending a few hours at another popular night spot on Main Street.
The injured taxi driver reportedly told officials that while heading up the East Bank Demerara, he noticed a grey, heavily tinted car following him from Agricola, but did not pay it much attention.
This newspaper was further informed that while at the Eccles stop-light, the driver of the tinted car pulled alongside Nieuenkerk’s vehicle and said, “Why you driving so reckless? You don’t know how to drive?”
Injured: Troy Nieuenkerk
The driver (Nieuenkerk) said when he was just about to turn to see who it was, “this man start shooting wild, wild.” He said the shooter came out his car and went to the side where Rose was and started shooting, then he jumped in his car and left,” a source said.
But there is another version which clearly points to Rose being the target.
This newspaper was informed that during the verbal confrontation, the driver of the other car came out with his gun, and Rose upon seeing this urged Nieuenkirk to drive.
But as Nieuenkirk was reversing his car, the gunman opened fire.
According to the information received, Nieuenkirk managed to jump out of the car, while the gunman approached the side where Rose was sitting a pumped several bullets into his body, shattering the window in the process.
Kaieteur News visited the scene and there were shattered glass from the windscreen and blood stains at the entrance of the access road leading into Eccles.
Tiny drops of blood stains on the road indicated that one of the injured persons came out of the damaged taxi and ran a short distance away, possibly seeking help.
Family, Friends in shock
As the news of Rose’s death spread, female friends who had been partying with him earlier barged into the hospital, dressed in mini dresses with their shoes in hand, to confirm the tragic news.
For about three hours, friends and family members of the dead man stood in front the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit, crying and shouting in disbelief.
Rose’s eldest daughter was seen crying and shouting, “How will I live without my father?”
The bullet riddled car
His mother, Lillian Browne could not believe that her son had passed away. She was heard recalling the moments she first held him as a baby.
“He was so fat when I bring him home. God, why you give me him and take him back? He was a nice person and very hard working.”
Ms. Browne told Kaieteur News that hours before he was gunned down, she and her son were talking about doing adjustments to their Lot 331 East Street, Georgetown home.
“He was telling me that he will take the downstairs and turn it into an office so that he will be comfortable,” the visibly shaken woman recalled.
She added that her son then left to go out with his current girlfriend and returned a little before midnight on Saturday. “I was in bed when he came home so I don’t know if he got a call or what, but he left like an hour after he came home last night (Saturday) and never came home back.”
“My son-in-law called me and when I go to the hospital, I saw him (Rose) lying on the bed with blood pouring from his neck, and his sister was lying on top of him crying. I couldn’t watch him like that. I shake his hand but it was lifeless,” the mother stressed.
Ms. Browne said she does not know if her son might have had a problem with anyone.
“He has a lot of friends and I know that he is kind of hasty. He would tell people off if he is upset about something.”
The distraught mother said that she is positive that the killer was after her son, given the fact that he was shot about six times.
On February 18, 2011, Rose was shot at and robbed of $2.5M by gunmen hours after launching costumes for Banks DIH Mash Band at the Burnham Basketball Court.
