Kiesha Jenkins, a 22-year-old transgender woman, was beaten and then shot to death by a group of five or six men in Philadelphia Tuesday morning. She lived in Northern Philadelphia and attended Temple University.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Kiesha Jenkins was dropped off by a car on Wingohocking Street on Tuesday morning at 2:30 a.m. According to the Philadelphia Police, mere moments after she exited the car, the group of men attacked her. One of the men had a gun and shot Jenkins twice in the back. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.
Captain James Clark of the Philadelphia police department said that they are investigating the crime and are looking for witnesses who saw the shooting as well as the driver who dropped Kiesha Jenkins off. He said, “We don’t know if it’s potentially a hate crime, or a robbery, we really don’t know. … It’s too early in the investigation.”
According to Advocate.com, 20 transgender women have been murdered this year alone. This number does not account for the victims who were misgendered or not regarded as trans women in death.
People mourned Kiesha Jenkin’s death using the hashtag, #sayhername, on Twitter.
If you have any information, the police are urging anyone who has information to call them at 215-686-3334.
#sayhername.
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