Another Black trans woman has been killed in a brutal shooting, making her at least the 21st trans person murdered so far this year in the United States.
Bree Black was found dead at her home on Friday night (July 3) after a fatal shooting.
Police in Florida were called to the 200 block of Northwest 12th Street in Pompano Beach on Friday night at 10:18pm after gunshots were heard, according to the Miami Herald.
They discovered the 27-year-old’s body in her home with a gunshot wound and she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Police in Florida are appealing for information in the killing of Black trans woman Bree Black.
Black’s killer is still at large and the Broward County sheriff’s office is appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Sadly, Black has been repeatedly deadnamed in the media reporting around her death. Contrary to some media reports, her name was Bree Black.
Yet another Black trans woman killed for absolutely no reason.
The news of Black’s death has been met with an outpouring of sympathy on social media.
The violence against trans folks is unrelenting, & black trans women are facing the deadliest aspects of it. When you pretend our humanity & identity are up for debate you empower this violence.
Also, please don’t share articles that use Bree’s dead name. https://t.co/TaprpiEidS
— Rebecca Green (@wordofgreen) July 5, 2020
TW: death, murder, transphobia
this HAS to stop…. yet another Black trans woman killed for absolutely no reason & no idea who did it. we don’t deserve this. we never have. everyone staying silent in the face of this is JUST as guilty. Rest In Peace, Bree Black. pic.twitter.com/mXLNqYUwJM
— EVE (@eveadrienne) July 5, 2020
Bree Black, a Black trans woman, was murdered just 20 minutes from where I live and no one is talking about it. Say her name! pic.twitter.com/UgljX1jIaR
— sage (@sageaa06) July 5, 2020
This isn’t getting any coverage!
3 more #BlackTrans women have been murdered this past week. Local media & police are deadnaming & misgendering them.#DrayaMcCarty & #ShakiPeters both near Amite, LA.#BreeBlack in Pompano Beach, FL.
[thread]#LGBTQ #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/rLHamSnPNV
— Black Lives Matter (@thxitsthetrauma) July 5, 2020
Anyone with information on Black’s killing is urged to contact Detective Louis Bonhomme on 954-321-4377 or Broward Crime Stoppers on 954-493-8477.
Several Black trans women have been killed in the last week alone in the United States.
Her death comes just days after two Black trans women, Dreya McCarty and Shakie Peters, were found dead in Baton Rouge and Amite.
According to Louisiana Trans Advocates, McCarty’s death has not yet been ruled a homicide, but the investigation is ongoing.
If McCarty’s death is ruled a homicide by police, that will make the women the 19th and 20th trans people killed in the United States since the beginning of this year.
Merci Mack, another Black trans woman, became the 18th murdered trans person in the United States this year last week when she was tragically killed by a gunshot to the head in Texas.
The 22-year-old was found dead in a parking lot by a passerby who called an ambulance, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Louisiana Trans Advocates estimates that the real number of murdered trans people is actually much higher than official figures, as many are misgendered and deadnamed in the reporting around their deaths.
There were at least 27 trans people murdered in America last year.
Trans people face shocking levels of violence all across the world, with Black trans women in the United States at particular risk.
In 2019, there were 27 trans people murdered in America. Since HRC began collecting data on the violent deaths of trans people in America, 10 per cent of killings have occurred in Texas.
The state is tied with Florida for the greatest percentage of violent trans deaths nationwide.