Last week, Rasheeda Williams, a 35-year-old Black trans woman who appeared in the documentary Kokomo City, was found dead at a shopping center in Atlanta, Georgia. Williams had an apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. On April 23, the police arrested a 17-year-old male suspect in connection with her murder. No motive has been released, and the police have not established any connection between the suspect and Williams.
The statement from the Atlanta Police Department (APD) noted that the murders of three local trans women, including Williams, do not appear to be random acts of violence. The APD is actively investigating all three cases. One woman was killed in a dispute on April 11, and another was slain, possibly by a male suspect, on January 9. The APD said that there is no indication that the women were targeted for being trans.
Williams appeared in the Sundance Film Festival documentary Kokomo City, which won the Audience Award in the festival’s NEXT section. The film depicts the lives of four Black trans women, including Williams, who work as sex workers in Atlanta and New York City. D. Smith, the film’s director, called Williams “beautiful and full of life” and expressed her grief on Instagram.
The murder of Williams, and the other trans women in Atlanta, highlights the dangers faced by the trans community. According to Everytown for Gun Safety’s Transgender Homicide Tracker, 73 percent of all confirmed homicides against Black trans women involved a gun. Two-thirds of trans and gender non-conforming gun victims were killed by someone they knew. The APD is urging anyone with information about the murders to contact Crime Stoppers.
The death of Williams has sparked outrage and grief in the LGBTQ community. It is a tragic reminder that trans lives are still at risk, and that more needs to be done to protect them. As a community, we must come together to demand justice for Rasheeda Williams, and for all trans people who have been victims of violence.