NCAVP mourns the possible hate violence homicide of Derricka Banner in Charlotte, NC

This post remains published for posterity.

The In Memoriam Page is the complete listing.

NCAVP mourns the death of Derricka Banner, a Black transgender woman who was shot and killed in a vehicle early Tuesday morning, September 12th, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  According to a statement by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, Montavious Sanchez Berry, age 18, has been arrested and charged with murder, armed robbery and shooting into an occupied vehicle. So far in 2017, we have lost 21 transgender and gender non-conforming people to homicide, and of that number, 18 have been transgender women of color.

We mourn the loss of Derricka Banner, and send love and care to her friends and loved ones. “All of us need to be working to keep transgender people safe in our communities, and to support our trans friends and family members as they grieve and heal,” said LaLa Zannell, Lead Organizer at the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

Though we ask our allies and community members to pledge #IWillNotStandBy when witnessing violence on public transportation or on the street, we also know that it can be very dangerous to intervene, and that every incident of violence is different. Learn how to intervene safely, and be sure to assess the situation before intervening. Visit #IWillNotStandBy to learn tips on bystander intervention.

In memory of Derricka Banner.

 

NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.