Crystal Edmonds Photo Courtesy of WBAL-TV |
Crystal Edmonds, 32, a
transgender woman, died the afternoon of September 16 from a gunshot wound she received to the
back of her head at 3:18 a.m.
She was found on the sidewalk at the 3600 block of Fairview Avenue in
Northwest Baltimore, according to T.J. Smith, Baltimore City Police spokesman,
and taken to a hospital where she died.
Police do not know the motive or
why Edmonds was in the area at the time and will investigate. Police are canvassing the area.
With Sgt. Kevin Bailey, the
police liaison to the LGBT community, at his side, Smith said at a news
conference at the scene that day that anyone who could commit this
heinous crime could do it again. Bailey
has already met with and spoken to advocates of the LGBT community concerning
this crime. Smith said that the “transgender
community is sometimes a vulnerable community, sometimes targeted by people.”
Local activist Merrick Moses
posted on Facebook, “Anyone in the community feeling overwhelmed by the violent
loss of another of our sisters can reach out to Hearts & Ears. Black
Transmen Inc. member Ken Jiretsu has volunteered to keep the doors of Hearts
and Ears open for extended hours to provide peer support from 6-9 p.m. this
evening for community to process. A counselor will be available during those
hours for added support. Hearts & Ears is located at611 Park Avenue, Suite A, Baltimore, MD 21202. “
Police are asking for the public
and community’s help. A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information
that leads to an arrest and indictment. Anyone with information is asked to
call police at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP, or text a
tip to 443-902-4824.
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