Buffalo, New York resident Tonya Harvey was shot and killed Tuesday, Feb. 6 becoming Buffalo's first confirmed homicide victim of the year.

The 35-year-old is the third trans woman to be murdered this year. Data from last year suggests that there have been 25 transgender murders reported but the numbers could be higher according to reports from Mic's tracking on trans homicides.

The Buffalo News reports that the shooting occurred a little before 5:30 p.m. onTuesday and reports initially misgendered Harvey as male. Police stated that Harvey was found killed on a dead-end street. Authorities are currently not stating if they've classified the shooting as a hate crime.

A spokesperson from the Erie County District Attorney's Office said that they are "extremely concerned about a spike in homicides of transgender people across the country and will be, as part of this investigation, looking into whether or not this is a potential hate crime."

Investigators have not released further information on the details of her murder.

Friends and family of the victim, who nickname was "Kita," have taken to social media to memorialize their loved one. Facebook user Ashley Breathe remembered her friend as a sweet and loving individual.

"Honestly i [sic] feel like im [sic] loosing all my trans elders to violence and drug abuse, we have to be more careful, do better and live better," she wrote, "this is so sad… sleep in peace angel."

Buffalo police spokesperson Michael J. DeGeorge told Mic that Harvey's death is “in the very early stages” of the investigation and that “police are looking at some possible early leads.”

Tonya Harvey

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