In the early morning hours of May 7, 2024, the life of Brandon 'Tayy Dior' Thomas, a 17-year-old Black transgender female, was tragically cut short in Mobile, Alabama. Around 3:30 a.m., police responded to reports of gunfire and discovered Thomas's body in the front yard of a home on Darwood Drive. Her vehicle had crashed into the residence, a grim testament to the violence that had just unfolded.
Investigators determined she had been shot multiple times as she attempted to flee her attacker.
Suspicion quickly fell upon 20-year-old Carl Washington Jr., who, according to Thomas's family, had been her romantic partner for about a year. The family believes that Thomas was targeted because she was transgender and that Washington feared their relationship would be exposed. This belief is compounded by the brutal nature of the crime, with reports indicating that as many as 18 shots were fired at Thomas. While her family has called for the murder to be investigated as a hate crime, law enforcement has not yet classified it as such.
Carl Washington Jr. was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of Brandon 'Tayy Dior' Thomas. It was revealed that at the time of the shooting, Washington was already out on bond for a separate incident in 2022 where he was charged with shooting into another vehicle. He has since pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and has been denied bond. The case is now moving through the legal system as those who knew and loved Thomas await justice for a life they say was full of promise and ended far too soon. Her grandmother remembered her as a 'beautiful soul' with a 'huge smile' who was deeply loved by her family and friends.
