Koko Da Doll, one of the subjects of an upcoming documentary about transgender women, was fatally shot in Atlanta this week, the film’s publicist said Friday. She was 35 years old.
Cinetic Media, the advertising firm representing «Kokomo City,» which highlights the stories of four black transgender sex workers in New York City and Georgia, confirmed via email that Koko Da Doll was the transgender woman murdered Tuesday in Atlanta.
Atlanta police and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office have not publicly released the identity of the victim in Tuesday’s shooting.
The homicide is the third fatal shooting of a transgender woman in the city since the beginning of the year, the police department said in a statement Friday.
“While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are acutely aware of the epidemic-level violence facing black and brown transgender women in the United States,” the department said.
The shooting Tuesday was reported at 10:42 p.m. at an address that corresponds to a shopping center, Atlanta police said. The victim died at the scene, police said.
Like the two other attacks this year on transgender women, one on January 9 that followed a dispute and another on April 11 that also followed a dispute, the case was still under investigation, police said.
Police said there is no evidence so far to suggest the victims were targeted because of their gender.
“Our investigators have not found any indication that the victim was targeted because she is transgender or a member of the LGBTQ+ community and these instances do not appear to be random acts of violence,” the department said.
GLAAD announced the death of Koko Da Doll, who also went by the name Rasheeda Williams, on Friday, stating, «Williams should be alive today.»
“All transgender people deserve to live in safety and acceptance, loved by their families, communities, and able to contribute to a world where everyone is freer,” the LGBTQ advocacy group said.
The director of the documentary, D. Smith, said Variety the murder was difficult for her to process.
«I created ‘Kokomo City’ because I wanted to show the fun, humanized and natural side of black trans women,» she said. «But here we are again.»
During its January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, “Kokomo City” received three major accolades, including the Sundance People’s Choice Award.
Its public release date was not available.
Producer Harris Doran said in a instagram posted on Thursday that he was heartbroken, especially as Koko Da Doll was moving on in her life and finding some success as a rapper.
«This tragedy is just unbearable to process,» he said. «Koko was working so hard to get out of it. She’s brilliant in the movie and when you see her, you’ll fall in love with her like we all have.»
Daniella Carter, one of the other subjects of the documentary, also released a moving statement about her instagram page thursday.
«I’m waiting here with open arms, tears streaming down my face,» she said, «Ready for you to come back even if it takes forever, my sister.»
Diana Dasrath contributed.