"Epidemic-Level Violence": US Trans Woman And Documentary Star Shot Dead

Koko Da Doll, an actor and transgender rights activist who was featured in the award-winning documentary "Kokomo City", was shot dead in the United States on Tuesday, the police said. 

The victim, 35, also known as Rasheeda Williams, was famous for being vocal on issues pertaining to black transgender women. Their body was found on a footpath next to a shopping mall in Atlanta, capital of the US state of Georgia on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press.

Rasheeda Williams was one of the key characters on whom the documentary "Kokomo City" is based. The documentary which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, is directed by the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer D Smith. The film centres around four trans sex workers living in Atlanta and New York City -- Kojo, Dominique Silver, Liyah Mitchell and Daniella Carter. It paints -- and the trials and tribulations of their daily lives. 

"Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women. I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn't show the trauma or the statistics of the murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again," D Smith wrote on Instagram.

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A post shared by D. SMITH (@truedsmith)

"It's extremely difficult to process Koko's passing, but as a team, we are more encouraged now than ever to inspire the world with her story. To show how beautiful and full of life she was. She will inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten," she added.

The Atlanta Police said that they are probing the murders of Rasheeda Williams and two other transgender women who were allegedly murdered earlier this year.

"The Atlanta Police Department(APD) is actively investigating three violent crimes involving transgender women this year. While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America," the Atlanta Police said in a statement. 

The Atlanta Police Department(APD) is actively investigating three violent crimes involving transgender women this year. While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America. pic.twitter.com/GOH6gOZCa7

— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) April 20, 2023

Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights group, claims that at least 38 people from the transgender community were killed in 2022. 

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