Brooklyn BreYanna Stevenson, a Black transgender woman, was murdered last week in Oklahoma City, OK — making her the the 26th known transgender person killed in 2017, according to the Huffington Post.
The 31-year-old’s body was found in a hotel room early Monday, according to local News 4. According to the state medical examiner’s office, she was shot multiple times.
Police have yet to release specific details surrounding Stevenson’s death outside of confirming that they were treating her death as a murder. They have yet determine if Stevenson’s identity as a transgender woman played a role in her death.
“We are heartbroken,” Stevenson’s family said in a statement. “Brooklyn BreYanna was an amazing daughter, sister and friend with a giving and loving heart. We pray that those who committed this heinous crime will be identified and Brooklyn will receive justice.”
No arrests have been made and no suspect information has been released.
“It’s a deep concern,” said Troy Stevenson, the executive director with Freedom Oklahoma, an Oklahoma City-based LGBTQ advocacy group. “We’ve got a member of the transgender community that’s been murdered like this and it happens quite often, unfortunately.
According to TransGriot, Stevenson is the 18th Black transperson and the 17th Black trans woman killed in 2017. Her family has created a GoFundMe page to help assist with the funeral costs.
