Cincinnati police are currently investigating the murder of a Black transgender woman.
According to NBC’s WLWT5, the police have recently identified the body of a 23-year-old woman shot and killed near the Clifton Colony Apartments in Cincinnati’s Clifton neighborhood and on Morrison Avenue. The Cincinnati Police Department say the woman was named Kyree Sanders. Then according to the Human Rights Campaign, she was more commonly known as Diamond Kyree Sanders.
Police say Sanders was shot shortly before 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, March 3. Once they’d arrived, the police discovered Sanders alive in a parking lot. Sanders was then rushed to a nearby hospital, as Gay City News reports. She later died while in hospital care.
According to Cincinnati Police Department spokesperson Eric Franz, the murder was initially suspected to be a hate crime. But, police later ruled that out as evidence points towards the attack not being fueled by Diamond Kyree Sanders’ trans status. As the Voice of Black Cincinnati reported in a Facebook post, the suspect seems to have stolen Sanders’ purse and cellphone.
In the wake of her death, family and friends of Diamond Kyree Sanders are sharing words of love online.
“She valued her family and enjoyed spending time with them. As a child, she would say ‘I love my WHOLE family!’” An obituary shared by her family states. “As an adult, Diamond was a traveler, known to be in New York City one week and New Orleans the following week. Diamond was really into fashion… Diamond’s unique style, charm and personality will be greatly missed.”
Meanwhile, LGBTQ advocates are mourning another death of a transgender American in what is becoming a record deadly year.
“Barely three months into this year, and we continue to see devastating violence against transgender and non-binary people in the U.S.,” said Tori Cooper, HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Imitative, in a statement. “This is unacceptable. Diamond was loved by her friends and family, and should not have been taken from her community. We will continue to speak out against this violence and to support transgender and non-binary people, and we need everyone to do the same.”
Diamond’s death is still under investigation. If you have any information on the case, please contact the Cincinnati Police Department Homicide Unit at 531-352-3542.
Source: WLWT5, Human Rights Campaign, Gay City News, The Voice of Black Cincinnati,
