Alexandria Winchester, Trans Woman Shot, Makes 44 2020 Killings

A 24-year-old Latinx transgender woman was shot to death in the Bronx, New York, on December 26. Alexandria Winchester was the 44th known transgender person to die violently in 2020, the deadliest year on record for trans Americans. Few details have emerged regarding her life or death, but some believe she knew her murderer.

"Alexandria mattered to her community and to the world," Lindsey Clark, associate director of the transgender justice initiative at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. "The loss of another transgender person in 2020 is devastating."

Winchester was a client of the the Ali Forney Center, which provides support to homeless LGBTQ+ youth. The center posted to Facebook they were "shattered" by news of her murder.

"This week we learned that one of our clients, Alexandria Winchester, a young transgender woman of color, was murdered on the streets of our city," they wrote. "The details about her murder are still emerging, and it is believed she knew her murderer. We do not know whether she was targeted because of her identity. We are shattered, but our dedication is not broken."

Winchester is believed to be the 44th transgender person to die violently in 2020, although the actual number is almost certainly higher since many deaths go unreported or victims are misgendered in death. She was also the fourth known killing of a transgender person in December. Kimberly Fial, a 55-year-old white transgender woman, was fatally stabbed with a chef's knife while volunteering at a homeless shelter in San Jose, California, on December 3. Jaheim Pugh Jaheim Barbie, a 19-year-old Black gender non-conforming person, was shot and killed December 13 in Alabama. Courtney "Eshay" Key, a Black transgender woman, was shot and killed late in the evening on Christmas Day in Chicago.

Ali Forney Center indicated they are working with community partners to host a vigil and mourn Winchester's loss. Clark, meanwhile, called out for a halt to the violence.

"Last year was the deadliest year for fatal violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people that we have ever tracked," Clark said. "This is unacceptable. We must all come together and work to bring this violence to an end."

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