Concern continues to accumulate after a transgender woman was found shot to death in a Fairmount Heights, Maryland, neighborhood, and Prince George鈥檚 County Police are trying to determine if it is related to the shooting death of another transgender woman in the same area about two months ago.
In the meantime, those who knew 23-year-old Zoe Spears are in mourning after her wounded body was found Thursday night in the 600 block of 59th Avenue, which is less than a half-mile from where the body of 27-year-old Ashanti Carmon was discovered along Jost Street, near J Street.
NBC Washington reported that, according to friends, Spears had told others that she witnessed Carmon鈥檚 fatal shooting, and was afraid for her safety.
鈥淪he was scared. She called me about a month ago, and she said 鈥業鈥檓 afraid that I鈥檓 going to die,’鈥� Ruby Corado, founder of Casa Ruby, told NBC Washington. Corado worked with Spears through with a safe space and access to social services.
Others who knew Spears have also been hit hard by her violent death, and are worried that transgender people are being targeted.
鈥淭his is a trend that has been going across this country. It鈥檚 like an infection,鈥� said Tamika Spellman, . She tells 海角精品黑料 she knew both Spears and Carmon and saw them as family 鈥� like her nieces.
But now she is afraid.
鈥淚鈥檓 at a point now where I don鈥檛 want to go anywhere outside of work and home,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 truly terrified of being on the streets at any point because you never know when somebody鈥檚 going to take your life.鈥�
Spellman said the possibility of a violent death isn鈥檛 the only thing she fears, noting the range of violent acts transgender women have faced.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about people that have been typically raped, robbed, assaulted, beaten within an inch of their life, and shot and killed,鈥� Spellman said.
She has a word of advice for members of the transgender community: 鈥淪tay aware. Be aware of your surroundings. Take note to the small things, because those small things are going to count.鈥�
