Fatal Shooting of D.C. Transgender Woman Under Investigation

A transgender woman was shot to death in a vacant apartment building in Washington, D.C., Sunday, possibly in an exchange of gunfire with a security guard -- but trans advocates are skeptical of some police statements about the case.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was found dead in the building Monday, the Washington Blade reports. The day before, a private security guard there had exchanged shots with another person, and police believe the guard fired the fatal shot.

"The suspect fled, and it was initially believed that the suspect had fled the vacant building," D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a Tuesday news conference, according to the Blade. But Monday, the security company reported there was an unconscious person at the site. Police responded, found the person was dead, and discovered a handgun near the body. They eventually determined she was a transgender woman. Police are not releasing her name until after her family is notified.

Trans activist Earline Budd of the sex worker support group HIPS expressed skepticism that the dead woman was the same person who fired shots at the guard. There is a "good possibility" that someone else shot at the guard, Budd told the Blade. She said sex workers sometimes meet clients at the building, and the woman could have been shot by someone seeking to engage in sex with her.

Trending stories

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

Robert Irwin is stripping down & rocking tiny briefs in new underwear campaign

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

'White Lotus' S3 finale recap: Here's how each character's story ended

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Out and About with Karan Soni

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Dylan Efron dishes on his sexy back arch & Speedo pics: 'That's what I'm good at!'

Who died on 'The White Lotus' season 3? The finale, explained.

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Here's what the 'White Lotus' stars revealed about the season 3 finale

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Matt Bomer reveals his favorite 'Fellow Travelers' sex scene with Jonathan Bailey

Peaches Christ says she's been 'retraumatized' by police investigating drag icon Heklina's death

23 brutally funny 'Hands Off' protest signs that prove the resistance is alive & hilarious

J.K. Rowling's new target? The asexual community

Madonna and Elton John have 'buried the hatchet' — tease music collab

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Newsham said police simply have a "theory" that the deceased woman had shot at the guard. "That is what we believe at this time through the investigation, yes," he said at the news conference. "We haven't determined that conclusively, but the facts and circumstances and the evidence we've recovered suggests that that's the case. ... That's the theory we are working with right now, yes."

Police spokeswoman Karimah Bilal declined to say how many bullets were found in the woman's body or whether they matched the ammunition in the guard's gun, the Blade reports. The investigation remains open, she told the paper Thursday.

At least four other trans women are known to have died in D.C. in December, Budd told the Blade, with the other deaths attributed to natural causes or a possible drug overdose. If the latest death is determined to be a homicide rather than an accident or the result of self-defense, The Advocate will add this woman to its list of 2019's transgender homicide victims.

Constant reports of violence against our community are difficult to read, especially as we continue to face historic rates. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach out to the Anti-Violence Project's free bilingual (English/Spanish) national hotline at (212) 714-1141 or report online for support.

(RELATED: These Are the Trans People Killed in 2019)