Beneath the lights of the Jupiter Lighthouse, more than a hundred gathered to pray and remember the life of Branden Jackson. Jackson, 17, was shot and killed Thursday after a graduation party in Loxahatchee.
Aside from being known for his talents on the baseball diamond, Branden’s friends say he was cheerful, generous and a stand up guy.
"He's probably the happiest kid you'll ever meet,” Matt Lashinger, a former baseball teammate said. "He was always a brother on and off the field, teaching us about everything.”
Saturday evening friends grieved Branden’s loss with a vigil off the Jupiter Inlet. Family and friends of his parents were also in attendance.
The group lit candles and walked down to the end of the jetties, there they shared experiences and loving memories of Branden.
“He's the most loving kid you'll ever meet, just loved everyone. It's just never going to be the same without him,” Lashinger said.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says they are still investigating his death. On Saturday they said no one was in custody and they had no new update to release.
Branden's death has been difficult for this group of teens. This is the third friend lost within a year. The first two were Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen. The two went missing off the inlet last July.