Quanesha Shantel ("Cocoa")

Age: 25
Date: 11/10/2024
Location: Greensboro, NC
Info: Cocoa was found shot dead in a crashed vehicle on Guilford College Road. Her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Reynolds, 31, who has been charged with first-degree murder.

According to friends and family, Cocoa had broken up with him four months prior, and he had been “violently upset” ever since.

Cocoa was part of the ballroom community and well-known from her participation around the Southern states of the US. According to her social media, she was part of the House of Mizrahi.

Jay Floris

Age: 23
Date: 10/24/2024
Location: Stockton, CA
Info: Jay was killed in a hit and run incident while walking their service dog. They worked with people escaping domestic violence situations and were well known in their community.

Jamaraqui Burks, 27, was subsequently arrested.

Barbie Iceland ("Redd China")

Date: 9/8/2024
Location: Chicago, IL
Info: Redd was shot by a man who had earlier been observed approaching a woman in another group of people. 30 minutes later he returned and opened fire, killing Redd. 

More than 15 shell casings, all from a rifle, were recovered at the scene.

Barbie’s personality was fitting for someone who’s favorite rapper is Nicki Minaj: bold and vivacious. She even took her name in honor of Minaj’s persona and had it tattooed on her face, often making it a challenge for her friends to put makeup on her. She was truly unapologetic about being her true self. Her loved ones found her full of life, intensely loyal to those she loved, and forgiving as she never held a grudge. Barbie had plans to start her own business selling beauty products, since makeup and nails were another passion of hers. She was immensely loved.

Kassim Omar

Age: 29
Date: 9/6/2024
Location: Columbus, OH
Info: Kassim died from injuries sustained in a shooting in 2022, which left her paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without assistance. 

Kassim loved to dance and would perform at weddings back in Somalia for her family. It was what she looked forward to the most in life, even as she studied at the University of Nairobi and after she moved to Columbus, Ohio. She continued dancing for as long as she could, even as she went on long car rides and blasting her favorite artists from the stereo. Dancing and, later, the dream of dancing again kept her going on through both the good and rough times of her life.

Tai'Vion Lathan

Age: 24
Date: 8/4/2024
Location: Baltimore, MD
Info: Tai'Vion died after being found unresponsive in an alley. She had been shot. According to Tai’s aunt, when speaking with reporters, said “She was just who she was, a very outgoing person, a sweetheart.” 

Vanity Williams

Age: 34
Date: 8/3/2024
Location: Houston, TX
Info: Vanity was found with gunshot wounds by police who were called to an apartment lobby following reports of a shooting. She died at the scene.

Tristian Sanders, 26, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Vanity was an Air Force veteran who had recently started at nursing school. She was fluent in Spanish and Japanese, enjoyed a wide range of music and movies and was a fan of makeup, nail art, and fashion.

Shannon Boswell

Age: 30
Date: 7/2/2024
Location: Atlanta, GA
Info: Shannon was found unresponsive in the street. Upon investigation, it transpired that she had been shot and run over.

Shannon was someone who “loved people” and enjoyed hobbies of “watching movies and living life to the fullest.” A friend described Shannon as their “best friend” and “dear friend” who was always there when you needed her.

Kenji Zemonta Spurgeon

Age: 23
Date: 7/1/2024
Location: Seattle, WA
Info: Kenji was shot in a restaurant parking lot just after midnight on Monday, 1st July. Kenji’s former teacher, Malia Burns, said, “Kenji was a bright light in our lives, known for an infectious smile and quick wit. Kenji had an extraordinary ability to uplift everyone around with laughter, a joke, a song, or a dance.”

M. Tapia

Age: 52
Date: 6/23/2024
Location: Denver, CO
Info: M. was shot in the street by police officers after she approached them while carrying a knife. The circumstances suggest her death may have been a "suicide by cop." There is little known more than Tapia's name, age, and that she spoke Spanish.

Pauly Likens

Age: 14
Date: 6/23/2024
Location: Sharpsville, PA
Info: Pauly's dismembered remains were found in trash bags near a lake three days after she had gone missing from her home on 22nd June. An autopsy revealed her cause of death to have been multiple sharp force injuries.

DaShawn Watkins, 29, of Sharon, PA has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

Pauly liked dogs and other animals and followed several pages dedicating to doing community works.

A candlelight vigil was held for her on Saturday 13th July 2024.

Michelle Henry

Age: 25
Date: 5/15/2024
Location: San Francisco, CA
Info: Michelle died after being stabbed and strangled during an argument in a residence. Raymani Yuhashi, 33, was arrested and charged with her killing. Michelle was active in the queer community through her involvement with the San Francisco LBGT Center youth program. She often was referred to as a “ray of light” by the center’s Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe. Mother Bar—a queer bar based in San Francisco—acknowledged Michelle’s impact on the local LGBTQ+ community, saying, “The tapestry of who she was will continue to be woven through our words - written and spoken - for a lifetime.”

Jazlynn Johnson

Age: 18
Date: 5/9/2024
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Info: Jazlynn Johnson died 2 weeks before her high school graduation. She was found shot to death inside a car in Las Vegas, Nevada. She planned to become a cosmetologist. Her killer 17 year old male pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced on Monday Nov, 3rd 2024 to 14-48 months.

Tay Dior Thomas

Age: 17
Date: 5/7/2024
Location: Mobile, AL
Info: Tay died after being shot multiple times, allegedly by Carl Mitchell Washington Jr., 20. Family members believe that Washington killed Thomas out of fear that their relationship would be made public. Tayy always had a huge smile on her face showing her dimples,” according to her grandmother. Her grandmother also said that Tay was a “shy but fearless” girl and was known for her selflessness and natural leadership ability.

Kita Bee

Age: 46
Date: 5/3/2024
Location: Kansas City, MO
Info: Kita died in a hit-and-run incident involving two drivers. Her loved ones suspect someone may have pushed her into the road. Kita’s sister Raynisha shared that she was “very bold in her personality” and loved Mary J. Blige. She also shared that Kita was “an all-around entertainer. “She loved to sing, dance, perform to make you happy, smile, or laugh.”

Andrea Doria Dos Passos

Age: 37
Date: 4/23/2024
Location: Miami, FL
Info: Andrea was beaten to death with a metal pipe while she slept on the street.

Gregory Gilbert, 53, was arrested hours later and faces charges of second degree murder.

Andrea had transitioned in October 2023. According to Andrea's grandfather she struggled with mental illness and had been homeless for some time.

A memorial for Andrea was held outside Pridelines’ Miami Beach location, at 1130 Washington Avenue shortly after her killing.

Tee Arnold ("Lagend Billions", "Ace")

Age: 36
Date: 4/3/2024
Location: Hallandale Beach, FL
Info: Ace died after being shot outside a shopping and entertainment complex. He had previously posted that his life was in danger.Tee was interested in travel, entrepreneurship, music, and good food. He is remembered for his good energy and supportive nature, uplifting his loved ones in dark times.

Robert Clark Jr

Age: 45
Date: 4/2/2024
Location: Angola, LA
Info: Robert, aka "Yella", age 45, and three other inmates got into an altercation around 10 a.m. Tuesday. Correctional officers making routine rounds stopped the fight, according to a release from the Louisiana Department of Corrections sent out Wednesday. Clark died shortly after, according to the DOC.

The incident is still under investigation and criminal charges are pending following the outcome of the investigation and the autopsy.

Many media outlets did not disclose that the person identified as transgender, had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and had been receiving gender-affirming estrogen hormone therapy which caused them to develop female secondary sex characteristics.

A former fellow inmate said that Clark’s [gender identity] was something that made life more dangerous for Clark at Angola.

"You can be a target," they said. "That kind of thing can make things a little bit more dangerous for you."

The 2015 United States Transgender Survey found that transgender prisoners are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted by facility staff and over nine times more likely to be sexually assaulted by other inmates.