Trans woman shot to death in Virginia is the 15th killed in the US this year
A transgender woman has been shot to death in Virginia becoming the 15th transgender person to be killed in the United States this year.
28-year-old Ebony Morgan was shot multiple times in the early hours of Sunday morning.
She was found alive in Lynchburg and transported to the hospital, but was soon pronounced dead.
Police are currently investigating whether the shooting was a hate crime.
Lynchburg Police Sgt. Bryan Williams said that there was no “indication one way or another” what the motivation was.
A vigil was held for Morgan at the Lynchburg Diversity Centre.
Issac Zralii, the deputy executive director of the centre and founder of the Lynchburg Transgender Alliance said that the community was “trying to be very compassionate for the family in their time of need”.
Andi Miller, the Executive Director of the centre added that she hoped Morgan would not be misgendered by authorities or local media as some mainstream outlets had used her birth name.
Miller said: “Victims become doubly victimized when they’re not identified correctly by their name choice and the gender pronouns they use with their friends and family.
“This is not really so much an issue with the police, [as] making sure we are respecting the victim.”
Morgan’s death comes after a 17-year-old trans woman was shot dead in Georgia last week.
Ava Le’Ray Barrin is the youngest trans person killed in the US last year.
A heartbreaking obituary by friends of Barrin remembers her as “an adored and loved young soul” who “lost her life to a tragic act of violence that could have been avoided”.
“I’m writing this obituary as a sort of final send off to a young lady who was and will remain my beautiful angel,” it read.
“A girl who gave me the strength and the courage to find myself; who I was meant to be, and what I loved to do in life.
“I remember a girl who loved to make people laugh; do the absolute stupidest shit one could imagine, and still, find a way to make it funnier than it actually was.”
