Prince George actress recovers after being shot in Los Angeles

Prince George-raised actress and dancer Keilani Rose is recovering after surviving a gunshot in the chest outside her Los Angeles home.

A graduate of Duchess Park Secondary School, Rose is an actress, DJ, producer and classically trained dancer who commutes between Vancouver and Los Angeles.

On Sunday, July 4, Rose’s friend was dropping her off at her Los Angeles apartment when two people accidentally fired a pistol through the driver’s side window of the car, and the bullet struck Rose in the chest.

She was taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital and received immediate emergency medical attention for broken ribs and a punctured and collapsed right lung. After two blood transfusions and an operation, they were able to begin draining the blood from their lungs and chest cavity.

Rose was then transferred to the intensive care unit for acute care and miraculously her condition stabilized. In the days that followed, she remained oxygenated and allowed to breathe with the help of epidural anesthesia.

After a second operation, the bullet’s remains were removed and she is now learning to breathe and walk again.

“Keilani grew up in the studio,” said Judy Russell, owner of Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Centre. Rose was a very successful competitive dancer and Russell would take her with him on trips around the province to compete.

“We are very close. She had a very special relationship with my parents, my husband, me and my children.”

Russell said she was shocked to hear what happened to Rose but relieved that she survived.

“They drove to her apartment, they didn’t even park the vehicle, and these two armed robbers came running around the corner and opened fire. Luckily her friend who was driving was just hit by broken glass so he was able to drive off immediately and take her to the paramedics,” Russell said.

“I mean, if he had been badly wounded, the two of them would have died in that car, I’m sure of it.”

Rose’s friend Brittany Good has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the long journey of medical expenses and challenges, including uncovered hospital bills and the cost of moving and rehabilitation, continued physical and psychological care and lost wages .

“Keilani is 30 years old and has finally broken into the market as an actress and performer and finally started to really succeed,” Russell said.

She’s a regular at the Crave Original Shoresywhich premiered this year and is an ice hockey comedy and the sequel to the Canadian cult favorite LetterKenny.

Rose also recently made her film debut as the film’s lead actress and choreographer Within the silencewritten and directed by Jade Tailor, winner of the Festival de Cannes (2021) awards for Best Fantasy and Best Choreography.

She is also the founder and CEO of Two Rivers & a Rose Filmworks, her production company dedicated to reclaiming space for Indigenous voices in Hollywood and mainstream media while amplifying messages of justice and reconciliation.

Rose is Lheidli T’enneh and Kānaka Mamao (native Hawaiian diaspora) with ancestry of Chinese immigrants and Irish settlers.

“She connects to her Indigenous background, and all of a sudden, after such a long time and a tremendous struggle of growing up with very little, things suddenly went well,” Russell added.

“Keilani has never forgotten where she came from and this is a very special tribute to her community and all the people who have helped her along the way.”

Rose posted a message on her Instagram that despite the trauma, she was inspired to reconnect with herself.

“And a reminder… just being here is enough. If we can only fully trust our intuitive sparkle in every moment, then we are here for it. Trust your sparkle. Let it shine in all its purity. Share it boldly and unconditionally with the world. This is how we all continue to heal together,” writes Rose.

At the time of publication, GoFundMe has raised $11,186 of its $80,000 goal.

“It’s important that we all come together and do what we can to help people, especially when things are going so wrong,” Russell added.