Black transgender woman, Brianna Hill, shot to death in Kansas City

Yet another Black transgender woman has been murdered this year

This week a Black transgender woman was found shot to death in Kansas City, making her the 21st nationwide this year.

Oct 22, 2019

Activist Imara Jones questions what's at the heart of the rampant violence that's killing Black transgender women and finds Black men and cis Black women as part of the answer that's fueling a weakness in our culture.. Unsplash)

This week a Black transgender woman was found shot to death in Kansas City, making her the 21st nationwide this year.

According to local station KCTV5 News, Monday, Brianna “BB” Hill, was allegedly murdered by an unidentified man who currently in police now in custody.

Hill, who goes by the nickname Be’Be was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting. Kansas City police Capt. Tim Hernandez says the alleged shooter was still at the scene when officers arrived. As a result, police are not looking for any more suspects.

“That’s part of my family because we are out here, we are trying to survive and people take action against us, nationwide,” said George Cherry, a neighbor of Hill’s, who says her death hit close to home for him as a gay man.

“They are human beings. Quit the violence,” he continued. “This shouldn’t be happening to the LGBTQ community. It hurts our families and our community,”

Brianna “BB” Hill is at least the 21st known trans or gender non-conforming person to be killed this year.

These victims are not numbers – they were people with hopes & plans, dreams for the future, loved ones & communities who will miss them every day. https://t.co/Y41tWPDD7c

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 20, 2019

The Human Rights Campaign reports Hill is the 21st known transgender or gender non-conforming person killed this year in the United States, and of that 21 she is the 19th Black transgender woman to be killed, and the third killed in Kansas City, specifically.

The Human Rights Campaign also estimates murders of trans people reached a high in 2017, and in 2018 approximately at least 26 trans people were killed, the vast majority of them being trans women of color.