Atlanta police investigating 3 ‘violent crimes’ against transgender women, including documentary star

Atlanta police stated they’re actively investigating 3 “violent crimes” against transgender girls that came about this yr.

The announcement comes after two Black transgender girls have been fatally shot every week aside within the town. The investigation right into a January capturing that left a transgender lady in important situation additionally stays open, police stated.

“While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America,” the Atlanta Police Department stated in a commentary Thursday.

The police division stated it’s exploring the chance that the shootings have been motivated by way of hate, however that during those instances, “our investigators have not found any indication that the victim was targeted for being transgender or a member of the L.G.B.T.Q. + community.”

The division added that they don’t seem to be random acts of violence.

The most up-to-date incident came about Tuesday evening. Officers replied to studies of a girl affected by a gunshot wound at a buying groceries plaza. The sufferer used to be pronounced useless on the scene.

Police have now not publicly recognized the sufferer, despite the fact that a relative showed to ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB that it used to be Rasheeda Williams, 35, an aspiring musician whose song used to be set to be featured at the Showtime drama “The Chi.”

Williams, aka Koko Da Doll, used to be additionally featured in “Kokomo City,” a documentary about Black transgender intercourse employees in Georgia and New York that received awards at this yr’s Sundance Film Festival.

D. Smith, the movie’s director, stated in an Instagram post that “Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women.”

“I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again,” Smith stated. “It’s extremely difficult to process Koko’s passing, but as a team we are more encouraged now than ever to inspire the world with her story.”

Per week sooner than Koko Da Doll’s demise, any other Black transgender lady used to be killed in Atlanta. Police replied round 4:22 a.m. on April 11 to an condominium complicated and located the sufferer affected by an obvious gunshot wound. She used to be pronounced useless on the scene.

“Preliminary information suggests this shooting was the result of a dispute,” police stated.

Police have now not publicly recognized the sufferer on this case, despite the fact that family and friends recognized the sufferer to WSB as 37-year-old hairstylist Ashley Burton.

“Ashley’s family knew her as a confident woman who was comfortable in her own skin and a proud member of the trans community,” Tori Cooper, the Human Rights Campaign’s director of neighborhood engagement for its Transgender Justice Initiative, stated in a statement. “Although she is no longer with us, we will never forget the impact Ashley left on her community, friends and family.”

The Human Rights Campaign stated that Burton’s demise used to be no less than the 9th “violent killing” of a transgender or gender non-conforming individual thus far this yr — emphasizing “at least” as a result of “too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported.”

Atlanta police also are investigating a capturing that came about the evening of Jan. 9 at an condominium complicated. A transgender lady used to be transported to the health center in important situation.

“Preliminary information indicates a dispute occurred prior to the shooting between the victim and a male suspect,” police stated.

Anyone with information on those instances is requested to name Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or post online. A praise of as much as $2,000 is being introduced for information that results in an arrest and indictment.