Families mourn the recent murders of three Black trans women in an “epidemic”.
As The Seattle Times reported in late June, Kenji Spurgeon, 23, was killed by a gunshot shortly before midnight on July 1. The Times reported that Seattle police did not believe Spurgeon had been targeted.
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According to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, police had been investigating possibly related incidents in the area that same night involving two men shooting airguns at people. The victims told police that they were the target of hate attacks. On July 4, the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported that police took at least one person into custody on July 1 related to Spurgeon’s murder, but no arrests have been announced in the case.
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A GoFundMe campaign set up to support Spurgeon’s family described the 23-year-old as “a bright light in our lives, known for an infectious smile and quick wit.”
“Kenji had an extraordinary ability to uplift everyone around with laughter, a joke, a song, or a dance. Kenji inspired all of us to find joy and cheer each other on,” reads the page.
On Sunday, July 24, more than two dozen people gathered at Seattle’s AIDS Memorial Pathway for a candlelight vigil honoring Spurgeon. Jaelynn Scott, the executive director of Lavender Rights Project told The Times that “I believe we have failed Kenji as a community, and as an organisation.” “Our particular calls to action are that we need the city of Seattle, the state of Washington and King County
look at their budget, and ensure that LGBT organizations
continue to be funded.”
Lavender Rights Project had previously blasted local news reporting on Spurgeon’s murder. [to] “We heard no outcry.” In an Instagram post on July 19, the organization said that there was no outcry from Capitol Hill. “Our local media sources have withdrawn their resources, and the publication of the senseless death Kenji Spurgeon has been made invisible in the pages. Or, the information was so limited that she became virtually invisible. We mourn Kenji’s Black Trans Life and the invisibility and absence of what we cannot see. We mourn the silence of her story that has taken 18 days to reach our community.”
“People should know that Kenji was a person that was in
community,” community activist Julian Everett told the Times. “But why did it take the death of someone for us to mobilize and come out?” It would have been covered by the media if it had been a trans white person. It would have had tons of recognition.”[sic]Two other murders: a hit-and-run & mysterious shooting
Nearly 48 hours after Spurgeon was murdered, 30-year-old Shannon Boswell was killed after being shot and then hit by a car in an Atlanta, Georgia, suburb. [the]Police investigating the incident shortly after 11 p.m. July 2, initially investigated Boswell’s murder as a hit and run, according to Atlanta’s WSBTV. Boswell’s mom, Tammy, told WSBTV: “Shannon was really a very sweet person…and ain’t nobody have a right to take
from me.” According to a July 3 report by Atlanta’s Fox 5, which misgendered Boswell, a medical examiner’s report indicated that Boswell had in fact been shot. However the report did not conclude whether her death was caused by the gunshot wound or the car crash.
According to a July 3 report from Atlanta’s Fox 5 which misgendered Boswell, a medical examiner’s report indicated that Boswell had, in fact, been shot, but did not conclude whether her death was caused by the gunshot wound or the car crash.
“Shannon was really a very sweet person…and ain’t nobody have a right to take
from me,” Boswell’s mother, Tammy, told WSBTV.
According to the HRC, friends and loved ones remembered Boswell as “one of a kind” and a “sweet soul” who enjoyed watching movies and “living life to the fullest.”[her]No arrests have been reported in the case.
And in the early morning hours of July 19, 49-year-old Monique Brooks was found shot near the Florida Mall in Orlando. Fox 35 Orlando reported that Brooks had died shortly after she was taken to the hospital. Lecia Paul Brooks’s sister told the outlet the family knew very little about the crime and urged the community to contact law enforcement if they had any information. Paul stated that
“
didn’t deserve this.” If anyone knows something, has heard or seen anything, you can remain anonymous. We want justice for
.” We want justice for [She].”[her]Paul described Brooks as “fun loving,” “brilliant,” and unafraid to live life “out loud,” according to Fox 35.
“Monique was one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever known,” Mulan Montrese Williams, executive director of Divas in Dialogue, an organization with which Brooks was active, said in a statement. She was always the life of a party, and she would help anyone who needed it. Her kindness and outgoing spirit will never be forgotten. Her kindness and outgoing spirit will never be forgotten.”
“We’ve lost yet another Black trans woman to gun violence,” Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for HRC Foundation’s Transgender Justice Initiative, said in a statement. “Monique is a jewel who should still be here today. As a community, we grieve Monique and know that her bright spirit will live on through her loved ones. As a community, we grieve Monique and know that her bright spirit will live on through her loved ones.”
According to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, Spurgeon, Boswell, and Brooks are among the 23 trans and gender expansive people who have died by violence in the U.S. this year. But as the HRC frequently notes, the violent deaths of trans and gender-nonconforming people often go unreported and victims are frequently misgendered and misidentified by police, so this may only be a snapshot of the violence inflicted upon the trans community.
Transgender people of color are particularly vulnerable: Of the 32 transgender and gender-expansive Americans whose violent deaths the HRC tracked in 2023, 87% were people of color, while 50% were Black trans women.
Notably, Spurgeon, Boswell, and Brooks were all victims of gun violence, which disproportionately impacts the transgender community, according to the HRC. According to the HRC, Spurgeon, Boswell, and Brooks were all victims of gun violence, which disproportionately impacts the transgender community.
