Shakie Peters was killed near Amite, Louisiana, on Wednesday.
Peters' body was found on Opal Bennett Road outside of Baton Rouge, The Advocate reported. Like with Black, police have no leads in the 32-year-old's case. Her family members had to correct the sheriff's department after she was misgendered in the police report.
“Shakie was a very independent person and very loyal to her friends. She was full of laughter and an abundance of life,” said Peters' friend Natahalie Nia Faulk, who added that she met Peters at the funeral for another trans woman.
“It’s traumatizing whenever we see [a killing] because we think, 'will they be honored in their death?' It’s a personal violence and whenever we die, often police or others don’t recognize the life that came before it. This is systematic and not an isolated incident,” Faulk told The Advocate.
In a statement to The Advocate, the Louisiana Trans Advocates said it is important for local leaders to speak out about Peters' death and that the constant misgendering of trans women makes it hard for activists to count the number of trans deaths in the country.
"Amite and Louisiana leaders must speak out against these killings, against the ongoing, systemic devaluation of trans people that pervades our media and politics, and against the institutional racism that places almost all of this burden on trans women of color," the statement read.
