Someone shot Daniel Rowe twice in the head just weeks before his 21st birthday behind The Blind Rabbit restaurant in Riverside. Police said witnesses saw two men running from the scene but only have vague descriptions.
After two months with no answers and no arrests, Rowe's father is still working to make sure his son's killer will be caught, despite the pain of his loss.
Steven Rowe, Daniel Rowe's dad, worked at a restaurant not far from The Blind Rabbit and said it has been so hard for him to be in this area that he's had to find a new job.
Steven Rowe said it is still hard to believe his son is gone, but his car, with his son's name and picture on the window, is a reminder that he is.
He said it's also a reminder that the people who took his son's life have still not been caught, though he said they need to be.
"Honestly it pulls two people off the streets that don't need to be there. That don't need to be in society (after taking) a life," Steven Rowe (pictured below), said.
He said he and his family have become much closer since the night of July 22, when he was working at a restaurant not far from The Blind Rabbit, where his son Daniel was working.
Someone told him about a shooting there so he ran over, not wanting to believe what he heard.
His son Daniel Rowe had been shot in the head twice while taking the trash out and first responders took him to UF Health but he later died.
Witnesses told police they saw two men running from the scene but could only give vague descriptions.
"They need to catch these two that did this, so we can have some closure," Steven Rowe said.
Daniel Rowe had two children, 4 years old and 7 months old, and was expecting a third child with his fiancée.
Steven Rowe said finding peace is no easy task, but he said thinking of his son helps.
"The person he was. How big his heart was. And knowing that somebody out there has a piece of him because he donated his organs," Steven Rowe said. "But there is really no peace, not until we know that these two are caught and put in jail. That's the only piece we are going to find."
As detectives continue to investigate, Steven said he hopes his son's death inspires others to make Riverside a safer place.
"A lot of people don't even go down there. They refuse to go down there because they are scared. People shouldn't live in fear from this and they need to know that they can go down there and continue with what they are doing," Steven Rowe said.
Detectives are still working the case and anyone with information about Daniel Rowe's death is asked to call Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS, where they can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward for information leading to an arrest.
There is also a fundraiser for Daniel Rowe's fiancée and kids scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28 at a restaurant called "Across the Street," in Riverside. The fundraiser starts at 1 p.m. with bands and vendors in Daniel Rowe's honor.