A North Carolina family is mourning a beloved dad of eight. He was reportedly shot and killed as he made deliveries for DoorDash to help support his family. They’ve described him as the type of man who would do whatever it took to make sure his family was taken care of. They are still reeling from the shock.
Currently, police have no suspects, and are trying to find clues that could help find his killer. The dad of eight was not in his own neighborhood, but police think it’s an isolated incident.
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On Saturday, February 1, 2025, deputies from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office in Wendell, North Carolina, were called reports of a shooting, WNCN reported. When the first responders arrived, they found a man in the driver’s seat of a car with an apparent gunshot wound. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A day later, officials revealed that the victim was 38-year-old Shawn Rouse, a dad of eight. “Investigators believe this is an isolated incident and there is no known threat to the public,” officials said on Sunday.
Shawn Rouse had been out doing deliveries for DoorDash on Saturday night to help support his family, family members told WNCN. Shawn Rouse leaves behind a wife and eight children, three of whom are from his previous marriage.
“He was my best friend. We went school together,” his wife, Roudie Rouse, told the news outlet. The couple had been married since 2022, and have a 1-year-old daughter together.
According to Roudie Rouse, the dad of eight was very active in all of his children’s lives. That’s why he was making DoorDash deliveries when he died.
“He was trying to help me with our bills,” she said, adding that “it’s been hard” since her husband died. “I’m just numb,” she added. “He was an amazing dad to all eight of his kids.”
LaShann Gray-Lee, the ex-wife and mother of three of Shawn Rouse’s children, also spoke, sharing that it’s been hard to cope with the loss. “He was a loving husband and father,” she said. “He wasn’t just some thug — he loved his family truly.”
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Gray-Lee and Shawn Rouse were married for 11 years. “He was a great man and someone he trusted killed him,” she said. Currently, police have yet to name a suspect in Shawn’s Rouse’s death.
Wake County deputies say the shooting is still under investigation.
