A Black transgender woman in the nation’s capital has died after an assault left her in the street where she was struck by a passing vehicle last weekend. She is at least the 20th transgender or gender-nonconforming person to die by violence so far this year.
Detectives from the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the death of A’nee Roberson, 30, in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 4, as a homicide.
Officers on patrol were flagged down shortly after 4:20 a.m. by a witness who said a woman had been assaulted, struck by a car, and was now lying in the road near the gay Nellie’s Sports Bar in D.C. According to police, Roberson, who sometimes used the name A’Nee Johnson, was in the roadway as a result of the assault. She was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
The vehicle’s driver stayed at the scene and police determined he was not involved in the initial assault.
“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and ruled the cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death a homicide,” MPD said in a statement, adding, “Detectives are working to identify the suspects who assaulted Roberson resulting in her death.”
Police did not indicate whether Roberson’s killing was a hate crime or related to her trans identity.
Friends remembered Roberson for her zest for life and the impact she had on the lives of others.
“You were a given light into so many people's lives a whole new experience and perspective and it’s unfortunate the events that occurred,” friend Oluwaferanni Olarinde posted to Facebook.
“I want them to remember her for her zeal, her passion, and her consistency,” Olarinde told local Fox affiliate WTTG. “How consistent she was with showing her face and making sure her energy was pure and lively.”
Earlier this month in Wisconsin, another Black transgender woman was murdered. Chyna Long was found shot to death on a street in Milwaukee October 8.
“They left my baby out there like trash,” Long’s aunt, April Gipson, told local ABC affiliate WISN.
Antonio Currin, 29, has been charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection to Long's death.
At least 21 trans people are known to have died by violence in the U.S. this year, most of them women of color. The true count is likely higher, as some are misgendered or deadnamed by police and media, or their deaths are not reported at all.
MPD is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved with the assault and murder of Roberson. You can call the police at 202-727-9099 or text a tip to the Text Tip Line at 50411.
