A 21-year-old transgender woman was fatally gunned down at 4 a.m. on Wednesday in Compton, Los Angeles, while pounding on the door of a home pleading for help. The homeowner came out after hearing multiple gunshots, but by then it was too late. Deshawnda Sanchez, known as “Tata”, was dead.
“That’s my other half. Now I can’t celebrate my birthday. I can’t do nothing,” said Sanchez’s twin sister Deshandra Bradley, according to local Fox News affiliate in Los Angeles KTLA. “It’s not ever gonna be the same because he’s not here. My whole heart is missing.”
It is believed Sanchez was running from a robber. Detectives are calling the incident a robbery-homicide, however they are not ruling out the possibility that it may have been a hate crime as they search for more clues. Part of her struggle to escape was captured on a neighbor’s surveillance video, notes KTLA.
Sanchez was born a man but died a woman. This year, California lawmakers passed a bill (AB 1577) which ensures transgender men and women, living in the Golden State, that their gender status will be reflected on their death certificate at the time of their death; instead of at birth.
Sanchez’s murder marks the third death of a transgender person in the past year. In June of this year 28-year-old LGBT activist from the O.C. Zoraida Reyes was found murdered in the parking lot of an Anaheim Dairy Queen. And this past October, 47-year-old Aniya Parker was killed in an East Hollywood robbery attempt.
A candlelight vigil will be held at Chesterfield Square (1800 W. Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90047) on Friday, December 5 at 6 p.m. to honor Sanchez as well as other transgender lives that have been lost over the years.
Vigil 4 #deshawndasanchez & all trans lives lost to hate.. @translatinbamby #translivesmatter #blacklivesmatter #twoc pic.twitter.com/yMBPe7cwOH
— brownroundboi (@kulandaybarrett) December 5, 2014
Photo: File
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