Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Cam’s death is the 40th reported in 2024 as of December 25.

In a horrifying end of the year turn, violence has claimed another trans teen’s life. Cam Thompson, a Black transgender 18-year-old girl, was shot and killed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on December 16, 2024.

Cam died after being shot in the 600 block of East 35th Avenue shortly after midnight. Capt. Jack Kennedy told CBS 42 a minor has been arrested and charged as an adult in her murder. He has been booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit was called to investigate Thompson’s shooting after her body was discovered near the street in a yard around 1 p.m. on Monday.

Captain Kennedy said the motive appears to be related to comments that Thompson posted on social media regarding the suspect’s sexual orientation.

“They were having a personal argument between each other, knew each other, and that seems to be the impetus behind this assault and murder.”

Family reports that Cam left their home near midnight on the day she died. Later that day, her mother noticed she had only taken her phone, leaving her purse and other personal items in her room. Cam’s phone went to voicemail.

Late afternoon, her family called the police. They were informed that they had found a body a few hours earlier. Cam’s mother identified the body as her daughter’s.

Authorities report that she had been shot several times in the early morning hours. Nearby residents reported seeing her body in the yard of a home near the eastern edge of the city’s 35 according to LGBTQ Nation.

Honoring Cam

Cam is described by family as “a beautiful smile, very contagious smile.” She was interested in hair and nail design.

Cam recently completed a stint with Job Corps and had been working for UPS. She aspired to go to college. She was living with her mother and younger brother.

“All these plans she had… they have been just wiped away in the blink of an eye, a senseless act,” Cam’s aunt Tara Maneice told the outlet.

Cam’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help with final expenses. Her funeral is scheduled for January 3, 2025.

Context

Cam is the 40th trans person whose death has been reported in 2024. Reported means the death may have been earlier or that we do not have all of the details. You may notice in my list later in this post that I try to make some distinctions. As of this post, I have now identified 33 individuals who were killed this year and plus seven individuals whose deaths became known to us this year.

I know this is confusing. Death cannot be neatly contained in data and reporting, but it is essential that we try to describe this epidemic of violence with every possible tool.

Among the 40 deaths reported in 2024 to date, 32 have been BIPOC, six white, and two of unknown heritage or ethnicity. 28 of the individuals on our list were Black transgender folx. Cam is the 28th trans woman, the 17th Black trans woman, and the 23nd trans woman of color on our list,

In June 2024, we reported the violent death of Tayy Dior Thomas another Black trans teen in Alabama. Earlier this year, we reported that at least 36 trans youth, 21 and under, have been killed in the United States. Now that number increases to 37.

We are failing our young trans people. These bright courageous youth who defy social, medical, legal, and political stigma to live their true, authentic lives – they deserve us to muster the same courage and protect them. Grieving their deaths is not acceptable, we must channel grief into action.

It appears Cam was killed because of the social stigma associated with an emotional or physical attraction to trans girls and women. That young person who killed her, a minor, threw their own life away because of messaging we do not adequately stop. How does a child commit such a crime because of this internalized transphobia?

My heart breaks for Cam’s family, walking through this darkest time of the year with such a devastating loss. My heart breaks for all of our trans neighbors who read about the violent deaths of 40 people and must engage that violence in their own hearts. My heart especially breaks for our trans youth facing a future ruled by disdain and disregard for their essential humanity.

I specifically wrote this post on Christmas Day, searching for some hope and sifting through the symbolism to find some comfort, some meaning. All I can offer is to place Cam’s story into the midst of our ‘happiest season’ so we cannot just turn away from this campaign of terror destroying lives and families. We must take this dialogue about bathrooms, books, athletics, health care and defy the narrative that there even is any ‘other side’ except love and respect.

Rest in power, Cam. There’s no reality where your adolescent romance should be a source of violence. Learning about your hopes and dreams reminds us that we have lost your potential to change this world. You deserved to pursue these aspirations. I am so sorry that we did not keep you safe.

May your memory be a revolution.

Things have grown so complicated that I have separated out the deaths dated to 2024 from those reported this year, but took place in another year.

1. Kitty Monroe – January 1, 2024. Phoenix, Arizona. Age 43.
2. Nex Benedict – February 8, 2024. Owasso, Oklahoma. Age 16.
3. Righteous Torrence ‘T K’ Chevy Hill – February 29, Atlanta. Georgia. Age 35.
4. Reyna Hernandez – Between Feb 28 and March 28, location TBD. Age 54.
5. Diamond Cherish Brigman – March 16, 2024, Houston, Texas. Age 36.
6. Alex Franco – March 19, 2024. Salt Lake City, Utah. Age 21.
7. Meraxes Medina – March 19, 2024, Los Angeles, California. Age 24.
8. Cecilia Gentili – February 6, 2024, New YorkCity, New York. Age 52.
9. Lagend Billions aka Tee Arnold – April 7, 2024, Miami, Ohio. Age 36.
10. África Parrilla García – February 2, 2024, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Age 25.
11. Nevaeh ‘River’ Goddard – April 5, 2024,. Stow, Massachusetts. Age 17,
12. Andrea Doria Dos Passos – April 22, 2024, Miami, Florida. Age 37.
13. Sasha Williams – January 26, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada. Age 36.
14. Kita Bee – May 3, 2024, Kansas City, Missouri. Age 46.
15. Starr Brown – April 19, Memphis, Tennessee. Age 28.
16. Jazlynn Johnson – May 6, 2024, Las Vegas, Age 18.
17. Michelle Henry – May 15, 2024, San Francisco, California. Age 25.
18. Tayy Dior Thomas – May 7, 2024, Mobile, Alabama. Age 17
19. Pauly Likens – June 23, 2024, Sharon, Pennsylvania. Age 14
20. Shannon Boswell – July 2, 2024, Atlanta, Georgia. Age 30.
21. Liara Kaylee Tsai – June 22, 2024, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Age 35.
22. Kenji Spurgeon – July 1, 2024, Seattle, Washington. Age: 23
23. Monique Brooks – July 19, 2024. Orlando, Florida. Age 59.
24. Dylan Gurley – July 24, 2024. Denton, Texas. Age 20.
25. Tai Lathan – August 4, 2024. Baltimore, Maryland. Age 24.
26. Vanity Williams – August 3, 2024. Houston, Texas. Age 34.
27. Redd ‘Barbie’ Joseph – September 8, 2024. Chicago, Illinois. Age 25.
28. Kassim Omar – September 6, 2024. Columbus, Ohio. Age 29.
29. Honee Daniels – October 3, 2024. Rochester, New York. Age 37
30. San Coleman – October 19, 2024. Athens, Georgia. Age 48.
31. Quanesha Shantel – November 11, 2024. Greensboro, North Carolina. Age 26.
32. Ra’Lasia Wright – December 1, 2024. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Age 24.
33. Cam Thompson – December 16, 2024. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Age 18.

Deaths reported in 2024 but took place in other years or need to be monitored for more information.

• Skyler Gilmore – June 2021, Stone Mountain, Georgia. Age 25. Murdered in 2021, reported in 2024.
• Ryan Zimmerman – Sept 2015, Columbus OH Age 21 Murdered 2016, Identified 2020, reported 2024.
• Unknown Name – June 17, Denver, Colorado. Age unknown.
• Paris Rich Jessup – 13 June 2022, San Diego, California. Age 25.
• Kit Nelson-Mora, – 2021/2022 Washington State, 2022. Age 18.
• Niomi Jenkins – May 2024 San Francisco
• Morgan Moore – May 2022, Maryland. Age 15