Shantee Tucker: Transgender Woman Shot Dead In Philadelphia

Thirty-year-old Shantee Tucker was shot to death about 1:05 a.m. Wednesday, September 5, 2018 in Philadelphia.

Shantee Tucker worked at a Philadelphia-area beauty store to make ends meet. People who knew her said that she was always told it how it was and that her straight-forward nature drew people to her.

She, “was a very genuine person, a very real person, down-to-earth.” friend Tatyana Woodard,  who works with trans clients at the Mazzoni Center, an LGBTQ health care center, told The Advocate newspaper.

But who would want to kill Shantee Tucker? That's what authorities want to know. 

The 30-year-old was shot to death about 1:05 a.m. Wednesday, September 5, 2018 in Philadelphia. The community has rallied around each other in the wake of the murder as authorities continue to investigate.

Her death marks at least the 19th murder of a transgender person in 2018, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy movement aimed at protecting lives.

“There were eight 9mm [casings] recovered at the scene,” Police Capt. John Ryan told CBS News.

Ryan said that Tucker seemed to be trying to escape her fate. “She was struck at least once in the back. We believe she was running away.”

All authorities know as of now is that the victim is believed to have been having an argument with someone, possibly someone she knew, right before shots rang out.

 Ryan said that it is too early to say whether Tucker's sexuality had anything to do with the crime. 

“I don’t think that has any bearing on this particular crime,” Ryan was quoted as saying. “It is not a hate crime. She wasn’t targeted because of her gender affiliation or her lifestyle.”

Police have no suspects at this time, but they are interested in a black pickup truck that was seen fleeing the area after the shooting.

“It is an older model black pickup truck that had a tailgate and some junk in the back,”  Ryan told local media.

The truck had tinted windows, and no tailgate. If you have information on the suspect, contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.