ORLANDO, Fla. – A 24-year-old woman was shot and killed Thursday morning in a neighborhood west of downtown Orlando after she dropped her infant off at a babysitter's home, the victim's family told News 6.
The shooting was reported around 8:45 a.m. in the 400 block of Ventura Avenue in the Spring Lake Manor neighborhood, near West Colonial Drive and North Tampa Avenue, Orlando police said.
Authorities identified the victim as Breanna Walker and said the shooter is still at large.
Walker's cousin, who did not want to be named, told News 6 that the victim was dropping off her child at the babysitter's on her way to work when the shooting occurred.
Walker was an employee at the Morgan & Morgan law offices, her cousin said.
Attorney Matt Morgan released this statement after learning of Walker's death:
Breanna Walker was a young mother whose life was violently and senselessly taken this morning just after she dropped off her precious child at daycare on her way to our offices. We have few details about what happened, but we do know Breanna was loved by her coworkers at Morgan & Morgan, who are having a difficult time accepting this horrible news. She will be missed by all who knew her. At this time we ask you to join us in prayers for Breanna’s child, friends and family.
The victim's cousin said that Walker was very social and a beautiful spirit to be around.
Neighbor Latanya Floyd told News 6 reporter Amanda Castro that he heard what sounded like three gunshots. He said the neighborhood is typically quiet and crime-free.
"This has always been a very nice, quiet type neighborhood," Floyd said. "This neighborhood is neighborly and to hear something like that is saddening."
The president of Spring Lake Manor Neighborhood Association David Stokes said nothing like the shooting has ever happened there before.
"I'm shocked because everybody in this neighborhood works together to keep this place clean and work on crime prevention here in Spring Lake Manor and we have been very proud of our neighborhood," Stokes said.
Stokes said that although the neighborhood is sandwiched between some higher-crime areas they work together to solve problems.
"(This) just doesn't happen in our neighborhood," Stokes said. "We're a very diverse neighborhood. We're very close, we're a very strong neighborhood association."
Investigators were searching the area in front of the Ventura Avenue home hours after the shooting, looking for clues.
A baby was carried out by a deputy in a carrier before 1 p.m.
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