3 Black Transgender Women Have Been Killed in Dallas Since October: 'We Are Concerned,' Says Chief
Dallas police are investigating the murder of the third black transgender woman to be killed in the city since October.
“We are concerned,” Chief U. Reneé Hall of the Dallas Police Department said in a press conference Monday.
On Saturday, the body of Chynal Lindsey, 26, was found in White Rock Lake. She is the third black transgender woman to be killed in Dallas since October and the fourth to be murdered there since 2015.
When asked by a reporter if there could be a serial killer targeting the community, Hall replied, “Right now we don’t have the evidence to substantiate that.”
“But what we are asking each and every one of our community members is to stay vigilant, to make sure you are aware of your surroundings, make sure your friends and family members know who you are with at all times and let individuals know where you are going,” she added.
Hall said that federal authorities are now helping local detectives investigate the murders.
“We are actively and aggressively investigating this case and we have reached out to our federal partners to assist us in these efforts,” she told reporters.
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Lindsey’s death is just the latest attack on transgender women in the community, according to a statement released by Dallas police.
In July 2017, the remains of a transgender woman were found in a field. Her cause of death remains unknown and her investigation has been classified as an “unexplained death.” More than a year later, in October 2018, a transgender woman was fatally shot while inside a vehicle. Her cause of death was ruled a homicide.
In April, a transgender woman was stabbed multiple times and left for dead. Luckily, the victim survived and was able to describe her attacker to police.
Most recently, on May 19, 23-year-old Muhlaysia Booker was found shot to death. Booker had been attacked in a parking lot by several people the month before and her attack was caught on a cell phone video, according to the New York Times. One of her alleged attackers was arrested, but police say he is not a suspect in her killing.
During the press conference, Hall acknowledge the “uptick” in violent crimes in the area and stressed her department’s effort to protect members of the community.
“That’s why we’re working together with … our LGBTQ+ partners,” she said. “We’re working together to make sure you can feel safe.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Dallas police at (214) 671-3684.
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