A trans teenager was shot to death on Monday, making her at least the 31st trans or gender non-conforming murder victim in the US this year.
Cameron Jamal Miikquise Thompson, 18, left her family home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama around midnight on Monday.
Her mother, a night shift worker, phoned the police at 4pm to file a missing person report after attempts to call her daughter went to voice mail.
Cameron’s body had been found at 1pm, the police told her.
She had been shot in the early hours outside the 600 block of East 35th Avenue, on the city’s western outskirts. Her body was discovered in a yard.
Cameron’s aunt, Tara Maneice, told CBS42 that her niece had a bright future ahead of her.
‘A beautiful smile, very contagious smile. Loved fashion and the beauty industry,’ she said.
‘All these plans she had, she was getting ready to try to go to college, buy a new car, that they have been just wiped away in the blink of an eye, a senseless act.’
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Cameron, who lived with her mother and 16-year-old brother, graduated earlier this year from the training programme Job Corps.
Maneice said Cameron left home with only their mobile phone, leaving behind her purse in her bedroom.
A minor, who police are not naming, has been arrested and charged as an adult with her murder.
Police Captain Kennedy said the motive appears to be comments Cameron posted on social media about the suspect’s sexual orientation.
He said: ‘They were having a personal argument between each other, knew each other and that seems to be the impetus behind this assault and murder.’
Cameron’s family believe the teenager’s death should be considered a hate crime.
But Alabama law does not consider a crime fuelled by the hatred of a person’s gender identity – the internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender – a hate crime.
Maneice has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for Cameron’s funeral as the teen’s mum does not have a life insurance policy.
‘I am aware the holidays are approaching and everyone’s funds are limited, but if you can find it in your heart to help our family, we would be more than grateful,’ the aunt said.
Cameron is at least the 31st trans, non-binary or gender nonconforming person killed in the US this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
Their names were: Kitty Monroe, Righteous TK ‘Chevy’ Hill, Diamond Brigman, Alex Taylor Franco, Meraxes Medina, África Parrilla García, Tee Arnold, River Nevaeh Goddard, Andrea Doria Dos Passos, Sasha Williams,
Starr Brown, Kita Bee, Reyna Hernandez, Brandon Thomas, Michelle Henry, Yella Clark Jr, Jazlynn Johnson, Liara Tsai, Pauly Likens, Shannon Boswell, Kenji Spurgeon, Monique Brooks, Dylan Gurley Tai’Vion Lathan,Vanity Williams, Redd, Kassim Omar, Honee Daniels, Santonio Coleman, and Quanesha Shantel.
Of them, more than half the victims were Black trans women.
Given that 40% were misgendered or deadnamed by authorities or the press, campaigners believe the true death toll is likely far higher.
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