Braelen Izell Adams

Braelen Izell Adams, a 23-year-old Black man from Seffner, Florida, is remembered by his family as a specially crafted masterpiece, a hero, and a loving father. His mother recalled the privilege of being his parent and the purpose his life provided. In a birthday memorial, his family wrote of his caring, forgiving, and loving nature: "Tall in stature, with a serious face; a warm and loving smile, always full of grace." Braelen was a beloved son and was his own daughter's first love.

In the pre-dawn hours of December 23, 2014, just two days before Christmas, Braelen’s life was cut short. He was sitting in the driver's seat of an SUV outside the Playpen Gentlemen's Club at 1715 North 50th Street in Tampa's Grant Park area. At approximately 5 a.m., he was shot in the upper body. Though rushed from the scene, Braelen succumbed to his injuries, and his death was immediately classified as a homicide by the Tampa Police Department. While police did not release an official motive, a friend of Braelen’s told reporters it was believed to be the result of a bungled robbery.

The Tampa Police Department launched an intensive investigation, releasing surveillance video from outside the club to the public and offering a $3,000 reward for information through Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. The appeal for community assistance proved fruitful. A week after the shooting, on December 30, police announced they had identified a suspect, thanks to numerous tips from media and social media. They issued a first-degree murder warrant for 23-year-old Chase Robert Sharpe.

The search for Sharpe crossed state lines. Acting on leads from Tampa authorities, the U.S. Marshals Service's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force tracked him to Hinesville, Georgia, a city near the coast. On December 31, 2014, just eight days after the murder, task force members and Hinesville Police Department officers converged on the Budget Motel on East Oglethorpe Highway. Shortly before 5 p.m., they knocked on Sharpe's door. Seeing the officers with weapons drawn, Sharpe surrendered without resistance. He had been staying at the motel for five days. A handgun was recovered from the room, and Sharpe was taken into custody to be interviewed by Tampa detectives.

Chase Robert Sharpe was extradited to Florida to face charges in Hillsborough County. Following a trial, he was convicted for the murder of Braelen Adams. Court records show that he filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence. On May 24, 2019, the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District, affirmed the lower court's judgment, finalizing his conviction.

The loss of Braelen Adams left a permanent void in the lives of his family. His mother later wrote about the profound and complicated grief of losing a child to gun violence, a pain she navigated with the support of her husband, daughters, and other family members. She described Braelen's life as a gift that gave her purpose even after his passing. The case, which came to a legal conclusion with the conviction and imprisonment of his killer, stands as a painful reminder of a life taken too soon, leaving a family to cherish the memory of a man they called their first hero.