On July 31, 2019, 21-year-old Kiki Fantroy, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The incident occurred in the early morning hours near Southwest 222nd Street and 115th Court. Fantroy was returning home from a party with a group of friends when she was approached by a 17-year-old male who propositioned her for sex. After she declined, the situation escalated tragically.
According to reports, the teenager became agitated following Fantroy's rejection.
He initially fired at another individual in the group before pursuing Fantroy. Catching up to her, he shot her multiple times. Fantroy collapsed at the intersection of Southwest 115th Court and Southwest 116th Avenue, north of Southwest 224th Street. Emergency services transported her to Jackson South Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
In the aftermath, Miami-Dade police arrested 17-year-old William Watson in connection with the shooting. A witness identified Watson as the shooter in a photo lineup. During questioning, Watson admitted to the shooting but claimed he did not recall firing at the second individual. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder. Initially processed as a juvenile, Watson was later charged as an adult for these offenses.
Fantroy's mother, Rhonda Comer, remembered her daughter as having "a heart of gold" and being "a very loving person." She expressed profound grief over the loss, stating, "This feeling is indescribable. The pain. The void. You know that feeling after losing a child and you losing a child for no apparent reason. Because she's gay." Comer believed that her daughter was targeted due to her gender identity, though initial police statements suggested the shooting stemmed from an argument rather than being classified as a hate crime.
Fantroy's death marked the 13th known case of deadly violence against the transgender community in the United States in 2019, with all victims being Black transgender women. Advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, highlighted this tragic pattern and called for increased efforts to address the systemic issues contributing to such violence.
