Post submitted by Brian McBride, former HRC Digital Strategist

HRC mourns the loss of Tonya Harvey, a transgender woman of color who was fatally shot in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday.

The Buffalo News reported that the shooting occurred in late afternoon on a dead-end street. Police have not released any further details about the incident, but confirmed they are looking into the incident as a possible hate crime.

Ashley Breathe, a friend of Harvey’s, expressed her condolences on Facebook, writing: “I knew her since I started transitioning, she was so sweet and loving.”

Harvey, 35, is the city’s first confirmed homicide victim of the year, according to the newspaper’s account. She is the third known homicide of a transgender person in the U.S. this year.

A spokesperson with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office told the paper that they are “extremely concerned about a spike in homicides of transgender people across the country”  and will be “looking into whether or not this is a potential hate crime."

HRC Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition released a report documenting the senseless acts of violence that made 2017 the deadliest year on record for transgender people, particularly for trans women of color.

To learn more about HRC’s transgender justice work, visit hrc.org/Transgender.