Metro Weekly

Transgender woman shot to death in South Florida

Police do not believe Kiki Fantroy was killed because of her gender identity

Kiki Fantroy – Photo: WPLG.

Police are searching for the suspect accused of killing transgender woman Kiki Fantroy in Goulds, Fla., an area of Southwest Miami-Dade County.

Fantroy, 21, was shot and killed last Wednesday after leaving a party at a friend’s home, according to her family.

Miami-Dade Police haven’t said whether the shooter was on foot or approached in a vehicle, but believe Fantroy was killed during an argument that turned violent.

Police say when officers responded to the shooting, they found Fantroy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, with a group of people nearby. Fantroy was transported by EMS technicians to a local hospital, where she died, reports The Miami Herald

Police are asking anyone with information about the murder to come forward. On Friday, they distributed flyers in the neighborhood where the shooting took place.

Fantroy’s mother has speculated publicly that her daughter was targeted because of her gender identity.

“The feeling is indescribable,” Rhonda Comer said of the sorrow she feels. “The pain. The void. You know that feeling after losing a child and you losing a child for no apparent reason. Because she’s gay. And my understanding…was she was killed because of her desire to be a woman.”

But police have said they don’t believe Fantroy’s status as a transgender woman played any part in her death.

Read more:

Ohio Republican blames mass shootings on gay marriage, trans people, and drag queens

Austin homeless man charged with brutally stabbing homeless transgender woman

Oregon transgender woman sues to have her insurance pay for facial surgery

Fantroy is the 13th transgender woman in the United States to be killed violently this year.

 “[W]hen I read the story, it broke my heart. I was actually in tears,” Sahfari Ebony, of the League of Extraordinary Transgender Women, a local trans support group, told local ABC affiliate WPLG.

“To see that one of my trans sisters has been killed and the killer is still out there and they can’t find them, anybody could be next,” Ebony said.

Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers is offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Tips can be left by calling Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!