Details are still emerging about the specific circumstances around her death, though family members reported to NBC that London was shot and killed in an argument in front of family members. Authorities have not yet released information about the person with whom London was arguing.

London is the fifth transgender or gender non-conforming person to be killed in October 2023, and the second to be killed in a single week, with her death occurring just five days after that of Lisa Love in Illinois. All five people killed were Black, and four were killed with a gun.

According to HRC Foundation’s tracking, since 2013, almost 7 in 10 (69.5%) transgender and gender non-conforming people who have lost their lives to fatal violence were killed with a gun—232 of the 334 deaths identified to date. More than half (57.5%) of all transgender and gender non-conforming people killed by a current or former intimate, sexual, or romantic partner, and three-quarters (76%) of all Black transgender women killed by fatal violence, were killed by a gun.

In an injustice compounding this tragedy, London was misgendered in some media and police reports. Anti-transgender stigma is exacerbated by callous or disrespectful treatment by some in the media, law enforcement and elected offices. According to HRC research, approximately two-thirds (66.8%, n=223) of all known transgender and gender non-conforming victims of fatal violence identified since 2013 were misgendered by the media and/or by law enforcement. In the pursuit of greater accuracy and respect, HRC offers guidelines for journalists and others who report on transgender people. HRC, Media Matters and the Trans Journalists Association have also partnered on an FAQ for reporters writing about anti-trans violence.

At the state level, transgender and gender non-conforming people in Florida are explicitly protected from discrimination in employment, housing, education and public spaces; however, Florida does have multiple anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-transgender laws on its books, and Florida does not include gender identity as a protected characteristic in its hate crimes law. Though we have recently seen some political gains that support and affirm transgender people, we have also faced unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks in the states. In June 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans, as a result of the more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced into state houses that year, over 80 of which were signed into law—more than in any other year.

We must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful anti-transgender legislation at the local, state and federal levels, while also considering every possible way to make ending this violence a reality. It is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, especially Black transgender women. The intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia conspire to deprive them of necessities to live and thrive, so we must all work together to cultivate acceptance, reject hate and end stigma for everyone in the trans and gender non-conforming community.

More resources:

• Learn more about the fatal violence cases that HRC is tracking where details are unclear. You may find a list of these cases here.
• Watch this PSA campaign elevating stories of trans joy and love.
• Join HRC's CountMeIn campaign to take action for transgender and non-binary people.
• Read these guidelines and this FAQ for journalists to ensure greater accuracy and respect in reporting.
• Learn about how transgender and non-binary people are combating transphobia, stigma and anti-trans violence through our Celebrating Changemakers series.