February 19, 2020, is a date burned into the memory of every Brooklyn drill fan. It’s the night we lost Bashar Barakah Jackson—better known as Pop Smoke—at just 20 years old. But while the world mourned the "Dior" rapper, a woman named Amelia Rose was living through a nightmare that most of us only see in movies. She wasn't just a name in a police report; she was the person in the room when everything went south.
Honestly, the internet has been weirdly quiet about her for a long time. People talk about the house, the social media post that leaked the address, and the kids who pulled the trigger. Yet, the woman who heard his actual last words remained a bit of a mystery until she finally started sharing her side of the story.
The Night in the Hollywood Hills
It started out like a totally normal night. Pop Smoke and Amelia Rose were at a rental home in the Hollywood Hills, basically just chilling. They were watching Hitch—yeah, the Will Smith movie. It’s such a humanizing detail that’s easy to miss. You’ve got this massive rap star, the king of New York, just relaxing and watching a rom-com.
Around 4:00 AM, things took a sharp turn into chaos.
Amelia has since described the moment the intruders broke in. She was sitting on the bed, and Pop had just told her he was going to the restroom. His exact last words to her? "Okay, I will come back." ### A Couple of Seconds Was All It Took
💡 You might also like: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
She heard a noise. Then, a masked man with a gun was standing right there. Amelia has talked about how his eyes were the scariest part—just cold and focused. The intruders didn't care about her; they ran straight for the bathroom where Pop Smoke was.
She heard him scream, "What?!" and then a struggle.
The LAPD detective Christian Carrasco later testified about this, too. He mentioned that Amelia had a gun pressed to her head and was asked if she wanted to die. Can you even imagine that? One minute you’re watching a comedy, and the next, you're staring down a barrel, hearing the person you're with fight for their life in the next room.
Why Amelia Rose is Still Speaking Out
For a couple of years, she stayed silent. Probably trauma, right? But then she appeared on the show Hip Hop Homicides with Van Lathan. She looked visibly shaken even then. She’s been pretty open on Instagram (@n9rose) about how the "worst night" of her life still haunts her dreams.
📖 Related: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
She’s actually made some pretty heavy claims. On social media, she's hinted that the whole thing felt like a "backdoor" situation—basically saying she thinks people close to him might have played a role in setting it up. Whether that’s true or just the result of a grieving mind trying to make sense of a senseless act, it’s a sentiment a lot of fans share.
- The Dreams: She’s posted about having vivid dreams where Pop Smoke talks to her.
- The Guilt: In interviews, she’s expressed a sort of survivor's guilt, wondering why she was spared while he wasn't.
- The Justice: She’s been vocal about wanting full accountability for everyone involved, not just the ones who were in the house.
Setting the Record Straight
There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Some people try to paint her as just some random "acquaintance," while others try to act like they were deeply in love. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle—they were spending time together, and she was the one there in his final moments.
It's also important to distinguish her from other "Amelia Roses." If you search the name today, you might find an 8-year-old TikTok kid or a "kidfluencer" whose mom is under fire for rage-baiting. That is not the same person. The Amelia Rose connected to Pop Smoke is an adult woman who has spent the last few years trying to heal from a massive tragedy.
What the Investigators Found
The case wasn't just about what Amelia saw. The police eventually tracked down the killers because of a photo Pop Smoke posted earlier that day. It showed a gift bag with the address of the house clearly visible. It was a freak accident of social media oversharing that led a group of teenagers to the door.
👉 See also: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
Four people were eventually charged. One of them, who was only 15 at the time, admitted to the shooting in juvenile court. It’s a messy, sad ending to a career that was just starting to go global.
How to Support the Legacy
If you're a fan of Pop Smoke, the best thing you can do isn't digging for more "conspiracy" theories about the people in the house. It's about keeping the music alive.
- Listen to the posthumous albums: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is a masterpiece for a reason.
- Respect the privacy of witnesses: People like Amelia Rose didn't ask to be part of a high-profile murder investigation.
- Learn from the tragedy: It’s a grim reminder of how dangerous social media location sharing can be, especially for people in the public eye.
Amelia Rose continues to post tributes to Pop, calling him a "romantic gangster" and a "gentleman." Whether you believe her "backdoor" theories or not, there's no denying she's carrying a weight most of us will never understand.
To keep up with the latest updates on the legal side of the case or to see how the Brooklyn drill scene is evolving in 2026, keep an eye on verified news outlets and official court transcripts rather than TikTok rumors. The facts are already heavy enough without making things up.