Memorial Honors Shooting Victim

Days after a deadly shooting in the East Lake community of Boot Ranch, a memorial casts a shadow over the road where 30 year-old Brandon Baker's life ended.

Investigators say off-duty security guard Seth Browning, 23, shot and killed Baker during a confrontation shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday. Browning told investigators he followed Baker's truck into the complex because he was concerned about Baker's driving and wanted to get Baker's license plate number. According to investigators, Baker approached Browning's car in an aggressive manner, Browning pepper-sprayed Baker and his twin brother Christopher, then Baker reached into Browning's vehicle and punched him, and Browning pulled out his gun and shot Baker.

The memorial display of flowers, candles, stuffed animals and a photo of Baker is just inches away from the bright orange spray paint detectives used to mark the road for their investigation into the deadly shooting.

Messages, handwritten by friends and family on a tagboard sign, tell Baker how much he is missed.

"Brandon, You were a great person and friend. You will truly be missed by friends and family. You're gone, but never forgotten. You will not have died in vain. Your true boys will get the justice you deserve. Rest in peace bro. Your friend always. Chris Lenox."

"B, We will miss you so much. You will truly be missed. Until we meet again, we love you. Be our angel. Kris, Mike & Lex, I love you Uncle Brandon"

"I love and miss you, Grandma"

Over a short period of time Thursday morning, two women stopped by the memorial to pay their respects. Neither wanted to be identified. 

One was a senior citizen who has a winter residence in Palm Harbor and takes regular morning walks around the pond. She said she did not know Baker, but had heard about the deadly shooting. She appeared curious, and then she appeared embarrassed when she was discovered looking at the memorial.

"It's so sad," she said in a thick Irish accent.  

Another woman, who lives in the same apartment complex as Baker, stopped by the memorial to take a photo.

"He was a really nice person," she said, recalling how Baker and his girlfriend used to walk their dog together in the apartment complex.

"How unnecessary for him to go like that. it makes me sick. He had a whole life ahead of him," she said. 

The woman explained that she had once gone through training to be a security guard. She thinks that off-duty security guard Seth Browning made a bad decision when he chose to follow Baker's car. 

"If he was really scared for his life, why didn't he call the law?" she spoke about Browning angrily, "It should have never escalated to that. If he was scared, he had no business following him."

While Baker's friends and relatives mourn his death, Seth Browning is on administrative leave from his job as a security guard at Critical Intervention Services (CIS) which is located in Largo.

Craig Gundry, who is Vice President of Special Projects at CIS says placing security guards on administrative leave is standard procedure in situations like this. "It gives them time to re-group," he said.

Gundry said that Browning was not on duty at the time of the shooting and he would not reveal the location where Browning works. Gundry praised Browning when describing his employment record, "He's been good, He has a good service record with no disciplinary actions. He's a model officer," he said.

No charges have been filed in connection with the shooting. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is still active.

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