In the quiet town of Mechanicsville, Maryland, the life of 18-year-old Tasiyah Siyah Woodland, a Black transgender woman, was tragically cut short on March 24, 2023. Remembered by her family as a high-spirited and protective individual, Woodland was fatally shot in the parking lot of a local establishment, sending shockwaves through the community.
On that fateful night, Woodland had arranged to meet a friend at Big Dogs Paradise Bar.
After spending about an hour inside, her friend went out to the parking lot and waited in their car. Shortly after, Woodland exited the bar and as she walked past a dark-colored sedan, multiple gunshots were fired. Wounded, she managed to get into her friend's car, and they sped away, but the assailant's vehicle gave chase, firing several more shots. The friend pulled over due to Woodland's deteriorating condition and called for help. Emergency services arrived to find her with two gunshot wounds to the chest; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Woodland's death led to the swift identification of two suspects. Four days after the shooting, on March 28, 2023, Darryl Carlton Parks Jr., a 29-year-old from Washington, D.C., was arrested. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, firearm use in the commission of a felony, reckless endangerment from a car, and illegal possession of a regulated firearm. Investigators discovered that Parks and Woodland had been involved in a physical altercation at the same bar approximately a month before the fatal shooting. During a bond hearing, Parks maintained his innocence, claiming his name was being maliciously spread in connection with the murder.
Further investigation revealed the involvement of a second individual. In July 2023, Erin Nicolle Battle, a 29-year-old from Waldorf, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony-violent crime, and accessory after the fact to first and second-degree murder. According to witnesses, Battle was in the passenger seat of the car driven by Parks and was reportedly overheard encouraging him to shoot Woodland. It was also alleged that shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle as Woodland and her friend fled the scene.
While the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office stated that they did not believe Woodland was targeted because of her gender identity, her family has expressed their belief that her death was a hate crime. The tragic loss of Tasiyah Siyah Woodland has highlighted the ongoing violence faced by the transgender community and has been mourned by local and national advocacy groups as a senseless act of violence that cut short a young and vibrant life.
