Longtime Transgender Advocate Gunned Down On North Philadelphia Street
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A longtime advocate for the transgender community was shot multiple times and killed on a North Philadelphia street on Sunday. The body of Michelle "Tamika" Washington, a transgender woman, was found on the 3400 block of North 11th Street, shortly after 5 a.m.
Police say Washington suffered gunshot wounds to her head and body.
She was transported to Temple University where she was pronounced dead.
Philadelphia LGBT officials were heartbroken over Washington's death.
"I am devastated by the senseless murder of yet another one of our trans sisters. Tamika was a brilliant and outgoing member of Philadelphia's transgender community, known for her advocacy and mentorship, and she will be profoundly missed. The epidemic of violence that continues to plague the transgender community—disproportionately impacting trans women of color— is heartbreaking, frightening, and infuriating," said Amber Hikes, the executive director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs.
"The news of the murder and death of Michelle 'Tamika' Washington has hit so many in our community hard. More than a news story, she was a friend, a loved one, a beloved. The Mayor's Commission on LGBT Affairs offers our solidarity, our commitment to #SayHerName, and a commitment to ending the plague of anti-black, anti-trans, and queerphobic violence that plagues not just our nation, but our own local community. Our community is nothing without black trans women, and we will mourn the loss of Michelle 'Tamika' Washington today and in the years to come. We pledge to not let her loss be in vain, and to stand with those who both endure and combat this violence on a daily basis," said Raquel Evita Saraswati, chair of Mayor Jim Kenney's Commission on LGBT Affairs.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information regarding Washington's death can call police at 215-686-TIPS.