Kansas City woman's death is 17th reported transgender murder this year

A transgender woman was found dead early on Saturday morning after being run over by a black SUV in a parking lot behind a church in Kansas City, Missouri, it has emerged.

Tamara Dominguez, 36, was the 17th transgender woman reported murdered in the US this year, and her death was the fourth killing brought to light in the past week.Police say that Dominguez was seen exiting the SUV around 3am on 15 August before she was hit by the driver of the vehicle, who then ran over her two more times.

A witness called 911, according to police, and reported an injured pedestrian.When police arrived on the scene, Dominguez’s body was sprawled across the pavement and she was rushed to a nearby hospital.She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.The investigation is ongoing, and officials say it is too early to suggest a motive. But they have not ruled out that it may have been a hate crime.

Kansas City, Missouri, has seen a rash of violence specifically targeting LGBT people in recent years, with Dominguez’s death marking the eighth LGBT homicide in the city since 2010, according to Kansas City Anti-Violence Project The community and agencies working closely with her family see Dominguez’s death as part of a national epidemic that the transgender community is facing.

“The murder of trans women, particularly trans women of color, is a real epidemic facing our nation,” executive director of KCAVP, Justin Shaw, told the Guardian. “We demand immediate attention on both local and national levels to end this violence.”

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/18/transgender-murder-kansas-city-missouri