Authorities in Shreveport, Louisiana are searching for suspects in the case of 20-year-old Brooklyn DeShauna Smith, who was found dead in her apartment from gunshot wounds on Thursday, according to local news outlet KSLA12.

“Investigators are working to determine if gender identification was a factor in her death,” police Sgt. Angie Willhite told KSLA12.

The Human Rights Campaign confirmed Smith's death as the fifth violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in only three weeks and at least the 32nd this year, a new record. 

Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said in a statement, posted to the organization's website, that the number is higher than any the organization has recorded since they began tracking the deaths of transgender or gender non-conforming people in 2013. 

According to Human Rights Campaign, the previous high was 31 violent deaths in 2017. 

“Brooklyn was just 20 years old, at the beginning of her life. She did not deserve to have that life taken from her. Not one of the trans and gender non-conforming people who have been killed this year deserved to have their lives taken from them,” Cooper's statement continued.

Smith was studying cosmetology at Bossier Parish Community College. 

KSLA12 reported that officers responded to reports of a person who may be deceased when they arrived at an apartment on Wednesday afternoon last week. Officers told the news outlet that she had been shot at least once.

According to the Shreveport Times, police scoured the apartment building for witnesses and are still reviewing evidence but are asking the public for leads in the case. 

The violence against trans gender non-conforming people has reached startling levels, particularly against Black trans women. Of the five trans women killed since September 19, four are Black, Human Rights Campaign stated. 

Aerrion Burnett, Mia Green, Felycya Harris and Smith have all been lost following a summer that saw similarly high levels of violence against members of the trans community. 

“With the news of Brooklyn’s death, we’ve now seen more trans and gender non-conforming people killed this year since we began tracking these deaths in 2013. This violence is horrific, and it must be stopped. We need everyone to commit to taking action today to bring this violence to an end," Cooper added. "As we mourn with Brooklyn’s friends and family, we will continue fighting for justice for all trans and gender non-conforming people.” 

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