On January 6, Sean Ryan Hake, 23, was shot multiple times by a police officer in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

Hake, who had previously posted on Youtube about his own process toward self-acceptance as a transgender man, was killed in his home after Hake's mother called 911 to report that her son was suicidal and acting violent.

One friend recalled that Sean “had a genuinely good heart and he had struggled with his problems.”

Police say Hake first threatened to put a razor blade to his mother’s throat and then repeatedly refused police orders to put down a utility knife before they opened fire. The District Attorney has not pressed charges, arguing that the shooting was justified. The family believes deadly force was unwarranted but has not said if they plan to take legal action.

To learn more about HRC’s transgender justice work and violence against transgender people, visit http://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/transgender.