Man shot dead by security guard at apt. complex

LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. (WSVN) -- Broward Sheriff's Office deputies are investigating the death of a man who was shot by a neighborhood security guard.

The two security guards involved in this shooting did speak with detectives on the scene and told investigators that they had walked up to a man, just after 3 a.m. Thursday, and asked him to turn down some loud music coming out of his car, and from there the exchange escalated. BSO said the security guards were cooperative with investigators, and they would leave the scene just before noon Thursday in their own cars.

The fatal shooting happened at about 3:13 a.m. in the Whispering Palms apartment complex, located at 45th Avenue and Northwest 36th Street. "They could hear the loud music being blasted from the vehicle, so they exited their car and confronted him," said BSO Public Information Officer Keyla Concepcion. "The person inside the car had a confrontation with one of the security guards, and the second security guard produced his weapon and shot him."

Taby, the deceased's roommate, said she could not believe it was her roommate who was killed in such an altercation. "I came and I see everything as well, but I didn't think it was him," she said. "It would be the last person that I would think had any conflict with anyone around here."

One of the security guards works at the complex full-time, the other part-time. Both have permits to carry a weapon, though only one had a gun on him at the time, according to deputies.

Their supervisor said he is upset someone died but feels his employees must have been threatened to use deadly force. "Our job is to protect the property and the people on the property," said Dimitri Bellegarde of YMP Real Estate, "so if something like that happens, we have to be threatened. It's tragic because the man is laying there, right on the floor. That's somebody's member of the family."

The victim was pronounced dead on scene. Residents said the apartment complex is normally quiet, and they were stunned by all the commotion. "Oh, my God, what happened? The only thing I could think of was somebody got shot or somebody's dead," said Katrina Terry. "With all the crime scene, we've never seen it look like this, and I was like, somebody's dead."

Taby said she was not home when this happened but her sister was, and she told Taby she never heard any loud music, but she did hear the gunshot. She also said her roommate did not have a weapon. She called him quiet and a hard worker who liked to work on his cars.

Reflecting on the incident is difficult for Taby, who finds it difficult to express how she feels. "I'm stuck," she said. "I mean this is somebody who I knew, somebody who I woke up to everyday. It's not like somebody I have to go and knock on the door to say, 'Hey, how are you?' Everyday was a life. Me and him, we shared a car. We shared everything, pretty much. Everybody thought me and him were brothers and sisters."

Police have not said whether the victim had a weapon. They continue to investigate, as they have not determined whether charges will be filed.

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