Transgender Woman Killed In Atlanta Shooting

ATLANTA, GA — Three transgender women have been shot this year in unrelated shootings that were not random acts of violence, Atlanta Police said Thursday.

The latest shooting happened this week when a woman was shot and killed around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not said what led to the shooting.

Another woman was shot and killed around 4:15 a.m., April 11, in the 400 block of Fairburn Road after a dispute. Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not identified suspects in the two shootings.

In yet another shooting in January — in the 400 block of Highland Avenue — a woman was in critical condition after being shot, police said. The shooting was the result of a dispute between the woman and a man who was said to be the suspect though no name was released.

"We understand the impact violence has on all our communities, and we understand some acts of violence bring about legitimate concerns of whether the incident was motivated by hate. We share in these concerns and our investigations include exploring that possibility," police said in a Thursday news release.

Police said evidence of the women being targeted for being transgender or part of the LGBTQ+ community was not found during the investigations.

"We understand this update will not alleviate everyone's concerns, but we want you to know violent crimes are our top priority and our investigators are working hard on each case. We have some of the best investigators in the business and we are confident in their abilities," police said in the release.

"We are committed to identifying everyone involved in these incidents and bringing those responsible to justice. The APD's LGBTQ+ liaison is aware of and closely monitoring these investigations. We will continue working with the mayor’s division of LGBTQ+ Affairs and community advocates on these cases, and overall engagement with the LGBTQ+ community."

Police ask anyone with information in the cases to call Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at (404) 577-8477 or visit the Crime Stoppers website. Tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of a suspect.