At least three Black transgender women were murdered in the United States in July 2024, continuing what the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) described as “an epidemic of deadly violence against transgender and gender-expansionist Americans.”
As Seattle Times Late last month, it was reported that 23-year-old Kenzie Spurgeon was shot and killed in Seattle, Washington, just before 12:30 a.m. on July 1. Details of the shooting were not available, but a Seattle Police spokesperson said: Times Homicide detectives do not believe Spurgeon was targeted.
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by Capitol Hill Seattle BlogPolice were investigating a possible connection to an incident on the same night when two men fired an airsoft gun at people. The victims told police they believed they had been the target of a hate attack. Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported Police detained at least one person A case related to Spurgeon’s murder occurred July 1, but no arrests have been announced in that case.
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A GoFundMe campaign set up to support Mr Spurgeon’s family described the 23-year-old as “a bright light in our lives, known for his infectious smile and quick wit”.
“Kenji had an incredible talent for lifting the spirits of those around her with laughter, jokes, song and dance. Kenji inspired us all to seek joy and support one another,” the page reads.
On July 24, more than 20 people gathered for a candlelight vigil honoring Spurgeon at Seattle’s AIDS Memorial Corridor.
“I think we as a community and as an organization have let Kenzi down,” said Jaelyn Scott, executive director of the Lavender Rights Project. Times“What we’re specifically calling for is that we need the cooperation of the City of Seattle, the State of Washington and King County. [to] Check the budget and see if LGBT groupsIt will continue to be funded.”
The Lavender Lights Project has previously slammed local news coverage of Spurgeon’s murder.
“We heard no cries of protest, no vibrant buzz from the Capitol Hill community, no outbursts of anger in response to the call to rally,” the group said in a statement. Instagram post from July 19th“Local news sources have retracted their stories and coverage of Kenzie Spurgeon’s senseless death has disappeared from the pages of their newspapers, or the information provided was so limited that she has effectively become invisible. Kenzie’s life as a Black transgender person matters, and we mourn the erasure and invisibility of what was unknowable. [sic] I know, and I lament the silence that has followed 18 days for her story to reach our community.”
“Kenji is [the] Community activist Julian Everett said: Times“But why did it have to take someone dying for us all to stand up and take action? But I also understand that if it had been a white trans person, the media would have covered it. There would have been a lot of recognition.”
Two other murders: Hit-and-run and mysterious shooting
Nearly 48 hours after Spurgeon was killed, 30-year-old Shannon Boswell was shot and then struck by a vehicle and killed in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.
According to Atlanta police, officers who responded to the incident, which happened just after 11 p.m. on July 2, were initially investigating Boswell’s death as a hit-and-run. WSBSTV VideoHowever, neighbors told WSBTV they heard gunshots just before Boswell was shot, and Boswell’s mother reported that friends were adamant that her daughter had been shot.
According to a July 3 report from Atlanta: Fox 5 The report misstated Boswell’s gender, but the coroner’s report indicated that Boswell had indeed been shot, but did not conclude whether her cause of death was from a gunshot wound or a motor vehicle accident.
“Shannon was a really kind person… and to no one. [her] “From me,” Boswell’s mother, Tammy, told WSBTV.
According to the HRC, friends and loved ones remember Boswell as “one of a kind,” a kind person who enjoyed watching movies and “lived life to the fullest.”
No arrests have been made in the case.
Then in the early morning of July 19, 49-year-old Monique Brooks was found shot to death near the Florida Mall in Orlando. Fox 35 Orlando As reported last month, Brooks was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. Brooks’ sibling, Lecia Paul, told the outlet that the family had little information about the incident and urged local residents to contact police with any information they may have.
“[She] “No one should have to go through this,” Paul said. “If anyone knows anything, if anyone has seen or heard anything, you can remain anonymous, we just want to know. [her].”
According to Fox 35, Paul described Brooks as “fun-loving,” “intelligent” and someone who wasn’t afraid to live life “without a shadow.”
“Monique is one of the kindest souls I know,” says Moulin Montrese Williams, executive director of Divas in Dialogue, the organization for which Brooks worked. It said in a statement“She was always the life of the party and always willing to help anyone in need. She will be truly missed. Her kindness and outgoing spirit will never be forgotten.”
“We have lost another Black transgender woman to gun violence,” Tori Cooper, community engagement director for the HRC Foundation’s Transgender Justice Initiative, said in a statement. “Monique was an incredible person to be with us today, and we call on Orange County to do everything in its power to achieve justice for Monique. We mourn Monique as a community and know that her bright spirit will live on through her loved ones.”
according to Pittsburgh Lesbian CorrespondentSpurgeon, Boswell and Brooks are among the 23 transgender and gender-expansive people who have died as a result of violence in the United States this year. But as the Human Rights Commission frequently points out, violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people often go unreported and victims are often misgendered and misidentified by police, so this may only be a small sample of the violence perpetrated against the transgender community.
Notably, Spurgeon, Boswell and Brooks are all victims of gun violence, which disproportionately impacts the transgender community, according to HRC. 2023 Report According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, HRC and The Equality Federation Support Fund, more than 25,000 hate crimes involve guns each year in the United States.
