A 35-year old trans woman of color was shot and killed in Buffalo, New York on Tuesday in what prosecutors are looking into as a hate crime.
Tonya Harvey became the latest victim in a string of transgender-related deaths in 2017. She is the third trans woman killed this year, according to GLAAD.
Harvey was killed on a dead-end street in Buffalo on Tuesday evening. Her death is the first confirmed homicide victim in Buffalo for the year, according to The Buffalo News.
A spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorney’s Office told The Buffalo News that they’re “extremely concerned about a spike in homicides of transgender people across the country and will be, as part of this investigation, looking into whether or not this is a potential hate crime.”
Family and friends of Harvey, who they also referred to as Kita, expressed their grief on social media.
Harvey’s death follows A Human Rights Campaign Report that said that 2017 was the most violent year for the transgender community. Last year 25 transgender people were killed, but the number may be higher according to advocates.
Harvey’s death is currently under investigation.
