Post submitted by Brian McBride, former HRC Digital Strategist 

HRC was horrified and saddened to learn that Ebony Morgan, a transgender woman of color, was shot and killed in Lynchburg, Virginia, over the holiday weekend.

On Sunday morning, local police responded to a shooting where they discovered 28-year-old Morgan’s body had multiple gunshot wounds, according to Lynchburg Police Department’s Facebook page. Morgan was transferred to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.  

Authorities have named Kenneth Allen Kelly Jr., who fled the scene before police arrived, as a person of interest in the case. Police have not publicly disclosed if the homicide was a hate crime, but are investigating whether Morgan’s gender identity was a motive, reports The News and Advance.

A Facebook statement posted by The Lynchburg Diversity Center and Lynchburg Transgender Alliance called Morgan’s death “a sad day for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community of Virginia. And a very sad day for us in Lynchburg”

Morgan’s death marks the 15th known homicide of a transgender person in the U.S. this year. So far, almost every victim has been a woman of color -- and nearly all have been Black women.

HRC extends its sincere condolences to Ms. Morgan’s family and friends during this difficult time.