A staple in the Buffalo LGBTQ+ community is shot 6 times and killed Tonya 'Kita' Harvey, a 35-year-old transgender woman of color, was fatally shot on a dead-end street in Buffalo, New York, on the evening of February 6, 2018. The brutal nature of her death, succumbing to multiple gunshot wounds, sent ripples of fear and grief through her community and highlighted the ongoing violence faced by transgender individuals, particularly women of color.
At the time of her death, she was the third known transgender person to be killed in the United States in 2018.
Known for her vibrant personality, Harvey was a beloved figure in Buffalo's LGBTQ+ community. Friends and family remembered her as a talented performer and a loyal friend. Her murder was initially investigated as a potential hate crime by the Erie County District Attorney's Office, a concern echoed by community advocates who pointed to a disturbing trend of violence against transgender people. Despite early reports of promising leads, the investigation into Harvey's death has since grown cold.
In the years following the shooting, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The case remains an unsolved homicide, leaving her loved ones in a painful state of limbo. A persistent rumor has circulated that Harvey may have been targeted after witnessing the murder of a man named Douglas Padre Johnson, whose body was discovered on the same day as her death just a few streets away. Johnson had been stabbed to death, and his case also remains unsolved. While authorities have acknowledged awareness of this rumor, they have not been able to officially substantiate it as the motive behind her killing.
The lack of progress in the investigation has been a source of frustration and anguish for Harvey's family and the broader community. They have held rallies and vigils to keep her memory alive and to demand justice. A reward was offered for any information that could lead to an arrest and conviction in the case. Despite these efforts, the questions surrounding the violent end to Tonya Kita Harvey's life remain unanswered, and her killer remains at large.
