Black Trans Teen Killed in Alabama; Suspect Charged as Adult

Cameron Thompson, 18, was fatally shot in Tuscaloosa, with her family calling the murder a hate crime tied to her gender identity.

Cameron Thompson, an 18-year-old Black transgender woman, was shot multiple times early Monday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and her body was discovered later that day.
A juvenile suspect, who reportedly knew Thompson, has been charged as an adult with her murder; police say the incident stemmed from an argument over social media posts about the suspect's sexual orientation.
Thompson’s family believes her murder was motivated by hatred of her transgender identity, though Alabama law does not classify crimes based on gender identity as hate crimes.
Thompson had recently graduated from the Job Corps program, was preparing for college, and aspired to move to New York City to pursue her dreams in fashion and the beauty industry.
Her death marks at least the 31st killing of a transgender or gender-nonconforming person in the U.S. this year, with Black trans women disproportionately affected by such violence.