Transgender Woman Murdered in Baltimore

The family of 24-year-old Lathan “Tai” Lathan is grieving after she was found fatally shot in an alley in West Baltimore on August 4. City police reported that officers responded to a call about an unresponsive female and pronounced her dead at the scene. Lathan’s mother discovered the tragic news when she went to check on her daughter after missing their daily phone call. The family is urging the public to remember Lathan as a beloved individual rather than solely defining her by her transgender identity. In response to Lathan's death, Baltimore police and Metro Crime Stoppers are offering an $8,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The nonprofit organization Baltimore Safe Haven highlighted the incident as a reminder of the violence faced by the transgender community. Tori Cooper, director of the Human Rights Campaign’s trans justice initiative, noted that the current political climate, marked by legislation restricting transgender rights, exacerbates fears within the community. Desire Bandz, a fellow transgender woman in Baltimore, expressed her distress over Lathan's death, emphasizing the heightened fear among transgender individuals, particularly people of color. Bandz, who discovered a familial connection to Lathan after the news, lamented the societal perception that their lives do not matter. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott assured the community that law enforcement would diligently pursue justice in Lathan’s case, emphasizing the importance of addressing all violent crimes in the city.