Hayden Davis, a Black Trans Woman Who Loved Fashion, Was Killed in Detroit

Content warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of anti-trans violence.

Hayden Davis, a 28-year-old Black trans woman, was shot and killed in Detroit on July 25. She is at least the 24th trans American to die a violent death in 2022.

Police found Davis wrapped in a blanket after a neighborhood resident called to report that he had seen a body on the sidewalk near his home, according to local news outlet WDIV Local 4. Davis was shot multiple times, and witnesses claim that she jumped out a vehicle and was chased down while being shot at. Residents of the area also told reporters that Davis frequented the intersection, and thought that she might have been picked up by the driver before she was shot. Officials do not currently know the motive for the killing and are investigating Davis’s death.

Community members are mourning Davis’ death. Julisa Abad, the victim advocate for Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and director of transgender outreach & advocacy for Fair Michigan, referred to the deaths of trans women of color in Detroit as an “ongoing pandemic.”

“I’m fighting to get justice for my fallen sisters and their family members,” Abad said in a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign.

Davis is at least the third trans person to be killed in Michigan this year. Naomi Skinner was killed in February in Highland Park, an enclave city surrounded by Detroit. Ray Muscat was killed in May just outside of Detroit. Both Skinner and Muscat were killed by their partners as well, highlighting the unique ways in which trans people are vulnerable to intimate partner violence.

But Davis, Skinner, and Muscat were more than just statistics. Davis’ interests included Davis’ interests included fashion, skincare, makeup, and the Kardashians, according to HRC. Tori Cooper, HRC’s director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said that Davis “had a beautiful life in front of her.”

“Now, she’s been taken from us in a horrible act of violence,” Cooper said in a statement. “Every day across our country, we are faced with the reality of violence against our community, particularly against Black and brown transgender women. Violence is one of the horrific results of anti-transgender stigma and ugly rhetoric. Every person has a responsibility to stop the spread of anti-transgender stigma — to stand up for the respect and dignity of every human being. We demand more to protect transgender lives. The violence must end.”

Last year, 2021, was the worst year on record for fatal anti-trans violence in the U.S., with 57 deaths recorded. Although the rate of recorded murders in 2022 is not quite on track to beat that record, the situation remains grim, with anti-trans rhetoric increasingly becoming a facet of mainstream discourse.

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