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Student shot dead after Test
23/01/2005 22:55 - (SA)
Borrie la Grange and Lucia Swart, Beeld
Pretoria - Two friends' outing to Centurion to watch Test cricket ended in horror on Saturday when a robber shot one of them twice, fatally wounding him.
Ruan Gouws, a 24-year old law student from the West Rand, and Pierre Fourie, 22, were overpowered near SuperSport Park cricket stadium at about 20:30.
The robber shot Roan in the stomach twice and he died in the Unitas hospital early on Sunday morning during an emergency
operation.
Roan's parents, dominee Ferdi Gouws and his wife, Ronel, are shattered by the death of their oldest son.
He'd been coaching rugby in America, but recently returned home.
"Just after he returned, his wallet and cellphone were stolen.
"Later his car was broken in to and his radio and speakers nicked. He was very angry and disappointed.
"I comforted him and said "it's okay, it won't happen a third time". "Now it can't happen again because he's no longer here," his mother said on Sunday.
According to Fourie, he and Roan were sitting in the car on Saturday evening after the cricket when a robber stuck his hand through the window.
"I grabbed his hand and yanked him towards me. He pulled away and took out a gun.
"He broke the window and shouted he wanted our cellphones and wallets or he would shoot," Fourie said.
The robber pulled Roan from the car and shot him in the stomach.
"He later fired another shot at him.
"He pulled me out, took my wallet - there was only R40 and a few cards in there - and told me to lie next to Roan. I saw he was badly wounded."
While the robber was busy in the car, Fourie jumped up and ran to get help. When he turned around, the robber had fled.
Fourie helped Roan into the car and rushed to a hospital, but he got lost. Another motorist accompanied them to the Unitas hospital where Roan underwent emergency surgery.
"The doctors said he would make it. They said we could go home, because he would be okay.
"Roan was young, he went to the gym every day. We believed he would recover," his mother said.
At 04:00 on Sunday the hospital informed Roan's family that his condition had deteriorated, and he died shortly after 06:00 during a second emergency operation.
"It's very sad. One would think that, after all the years in the church and dealing with the pain of others, one would know what to expect and how to handle the death of a loved one."
- Beeld
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