December 21, 2024
Cameron Thompson was shot a number of occasions simply after few blocks away from her dwelling.
Nikki Matthews-Cunningham, the mom of Cameron Thompson, a Black teenager who was shot and killed in Alabama on Dec. 16, informed the Related Press that she believes her daughter was killed as a result of she was transgender.
The 18-year-old woman was shot a number of occasions within the early morning hours on Monday, and her physique was discovered later that afternoon, just a few blocks away from her dwelling.
In line with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, Captain Jack Kennedy, 37-year-old Matthews-Cunningham believes that Thompson was killed due to her gender id.
In an interview with the Related Press, Matthews-Cunningham stated, “In fact it was a hate crime.” She continued to recommend that if a cisgender woman stated one thing in regards to the suspected taking pictures on social media, “He wouldn’t have lured her out of her dwelling and killed her. However as a result of my youngster was transgender, that’s why he did it. I hate this occurred to her, all due to her alternative of desirous to be who she was. That’s the one cause she is useless.”
Captain Kennedy stated that Thompson knew the suspect and that she had posted in regards to the suspected shooter’s sexual orientation on social media earlier than her being killed.
Though the suspect is below 18 and his id is being saved nameless by authorities, he’s being charged as an grownup with Thompson’s homicide.
As for Matthews-Cunningham’s perception that Thompson was a sufferer of a hate crime, legally, Alabama is considered one of solely 9 states that don’t acknowledge “sexual orientation, gender or gender id within the authorized classification of a hate crime” versus race or faith.
Sadly, whatever the narrowed hate crime definition within the state, the Human Rights Marketing campaign studies that at the very least 36 transgender folks have died from violence in only one yr, and greater than half of them have been Black transgender ladies — drawing consideration to the Harmful intersectionality between race and gender id.
The marketing campaign’s Alabama director, Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, stated of the incident, “Cameron’s demise is not only a profound loss for her household and family members — it’s a heartbreaking and unjust loss for the complete transgender neighborhood in Alabama and past. Her life mattered. Her desires, her mild, and her limitless potential have been stolen far too quickly. Regulation enforcement should conduct a radical, clear investigation and discover some measure of justice for Cameron’s family members.”
Matthews-Cunningham informed AP that Thompson was solely simply starting her journey in life and that she was gearing as much as transfer to New York Metropolis and go to school earlier than her demise.
“She was simply beginning her life,” Matthews-Cunningham stated emotionally. “She struggled with folks not wanting to just accept her for who she was. However she was such a very good individual.”
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