Tonya Harvey: 35-Year-Old Trans Woman Gunned Down In Buffalo
Tonya Harvey, 35, was shot dead Tuesday February 6, 2018 about 5:30 p.m. in Buffalo, New York. She is reportedly the fourth trans person murdered this year.
Tonya Harvey was a 35-year-old trans woman living in Buffalo, New York. She was gunned down Tuesday, February 6, 2018 in the city's first reported homicide this year. She was initially identified as a male before officials issued a correction two days later, according to the Buffalo News, which first reported the slaying.
Harvey is the fourth person in 2018 that has been murdered, according to GLAAD. In total, there are four.
A spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorney's Office told the Buffalo News that the office is "extremely concerned about a spike in homicides of transgender people across the country and will be, as part of this investigation, looking into whether or not this is a potential hate crime."
Harvey was shot around 5:30 p.m., authorities said. They are still investigating the case and have not divulged whether there are any suspects at this time. They are however looking into whether the murder could be a hate crime.
GLAAD keeps a running tally on the number of trans people killed each year. So far in 2018, there have been four people. They are as follows:
- Celine Walker was killed on February 4 in Jacksonville, Flordia, but due to misgendering by police and the media, she was not identified as a transgender woman until February 9. She was 36 years old.
- Tonya Harvey, also known as Kita, was killed on February 6 in Buffalo, New York. She was 35 years old.
- Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien was killed on January 5 in North Adams, Massachusetts. She was 42 years old.
- Viccky Gutierrez was killed on January 10 in Los Angeles, California.
