A black transgender woman was shot and killed in southwest Miami on July 31, marking the 13th known trans woman of color to die a violent death so far this year.
Kiki Fantroy, 21, was found clinging to life at 4:37 a.m. last Wednesday morning after she was shot at SW 224th St. and SW 115th Court in Miami. She was transported to a local hospital where she died, a police spokesperson told Gay City News.
A suspect has not been identified and police do not have any leads at this time, but detectives believe that other people were present at the shooting. Police did not provide further context regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
Fantroy’s mother, Rhonda Comer, told NBC Miami she believes that her daughter, at the time of her murder, was returning home from a party and was propositioned for sex.
“It’s not right to go around killing people because of their sexuality,” she said, according to NBC.
It is not clear how Comer came to believe her daughter was approached for sex.
A Miami police spokesperson told Gay City News that a hate crime is not suspected, but then misgendered Fantroy when discussing her case. When reminded that Fantroy was a transgender woman, the spokesperson said, “I don’t know.”
As the conversation continued, the spokesperson continued to use male pronouns when referring to Fantroy, underscoring the ongoing marginalization of transgender and gender nonconforming folks and reaffirming the reality that police departments around the nation often fail to use proper pronouns and understand the identity of the people they serve.
During an interview with the Miami Herald, Comer described her daughter as a person who enjoyed photography, music, and “slaying” her hair. She had dreams to move to California and “be another RuPaul,” her mother said.
Anyone who has information regarding this case is encouraged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
