Vontashia Bell, an 18-year-old transgender woman was fatally shot multiple times in Shreveport, Louisiana, on August 30, Human Rights Campaign reports.
“Vontashia Bell must not die in vain,” Louisiana Trans Advocates said in a statement. ”Her murder is a reminder of the current climate and national discourse on trans issues."
In response to local coverage of the murder, in which Bell was misgendered and deadnamed, Louisiana Trans Advocates said, "Dehumanizing language and actions lower the barriers to this kind of senseless violence. Shreveport 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.”
At the time of this article's posting, no suspect has been identified. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Shreveport Police Investigators at 318-673-6955.
Later that day, Dejanay Stanton's body was found in an alley on Chicago's South Side, according to police reports to Windy City Times. Like Bell, Stanton had been shot to death, and the 24-year-old's death was later ruled as a homicide.
Chicago police have yet to find a suspect in her homicide.
"I hate going out on these kinds of calls," said Chicago Survivors crisis responder Dawn Valenti. "But this is my community, and I have to do it."
LaSaia Wade, a trans activist and organizer with local trans group Brave Space Alliance, took to Facebook to honor Stanton captioning her picture with, "We lost another sister here in Chicago sending her family and love one peace and justice!"
In Philadelphia, police are looking for the person or persons behind the murder of Shantee Tucker, a 30-year-old trans woman who was found shot in the back near the city's Hunting Park Wednesday morning. She was rushed to Temple Hospital where she was declared dead, Philadelphia Magazine reports.
Tucker had just turned 30 and was remembered by many on Facebook as the big sister they never had.
Philadelphia police, like the departments in Chicago and Shreveport, have turned to the public for leads and ask anyone with any information about the circumstances of her death to call 215-686-3334.
With their deaths, there have now been 19 known killings of transgender or nonbinary people this year, with 13 of them being black. Three of these murders happened in Jacksonville, Florida.
Now, check these out:
Diamond Stephens Is The 16th Known Transgender Person To Be Killed In 2018
