Atlanta police investigating shootings of 3 transgender women

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department is working to reassure members of the LGBTBQ+ community following three violent crimes involving transgender women that have taken place this year.

The most recent incident occurred on April 18 on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW. According to police, officers were called to the area around 10:42 p.m. about a person shot. At the scene they found the female victim dead from a gunshot. It's unclear what led up to the shooting.

The week before, on April 11, Atlanta police were called around 4:22 a.m. to the 400 block of Fairburn Avenue about a person down. When officers arrived, they found the female victim dead from a gunshot wound. Investigators believe the shooting resulted from an argument. 

On Jan. 9, officers were called to the 400 block of Highland Avenue where they discovered an adult female with a gunshot wound. The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say an argument between the victim and a male suspect took place prior to the shooting.

In all three shootings, the victims were transgender women, according to APD.

"While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America," APD stated in a news release to FOX 5. "We understand the impact violence has on all our communities, and we understand some acts of violence bring about legitimate concerns of whether the incident was motivated by hate. We share in these concerns and our investigations include exploring that possibility."

Investigators say they have not found any indication the victims in each of the cases were targeted for being transgender or a member of the LGBTQ+ community. They went on to say that these cases do not appear to be random acts of violence.

"We understand this update will not alleviate everyone's concerns, but we want you to know violent crimes are our top priority and our investigators are working hard on each case. We have some of the best investigators in the business, and we are confident in their abilities. We are committed to identifying everyone involved in these incidents and bringing those responsible to justice," The APD release continues. "The APD's LGBTQ+ Liaison is aware of and closely monitoring these investigations. We will continue working with the Mayor’s Division of LGBTQ+ Affairs and community advocates on these cases, and overall engagement with the LGBTQ+ community."

APD has not said if any arrests have been made in any of the cases, nor have they identified any suspects.

The investigation into each of the cases is ongoing.

Anyone with information on any one of these crimes is urged to contact APD or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.StopCrimeAll.org.