In the summer of 2022, a bright and aspiring young woman named Shawmayne Giselle Marie McClam, a 27-year-old Black transgender woman, was tragically killed in her Gulfport, Mississippi, apartment. On June 21, 2022, what should have been an ordinary evening turned into a scene of violence that cut short a life full of promise and left a family shattered.
That night, a dispute broke out between McClam and a 20-year-old man named Makhari Seven Gasaway.
The argument escalated, and Gasaway produced a gun, opening fire on McClam and her sister. McClam was fatally wounded at the scene, while her sister sustained critical injuries but survived. The attack occurred in the presence of other family members, including McClam's mother, brother, and two children, who were not physically harmed but were left to witness the horrific aftermath.
The Gulfport Police Department quickly launched an investigation, and two days after the shooting, Makhari Seven Gasaway was arrested. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the death of Shawmayne McClam and aggravated assault for the shooting of her sister. Investigators learned that the violent outburst was precipitated by Gasaway's discovery that McClam was a transgender woman.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Gasaway ultimately accepted a plea deal. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 20 years suspended, and five years of post-release supervision for his crimes. The case brought to light the dangers and violence that transgender individuals, particularly Black transgender women, continue to face. Shawmayne McClam was remembered by her loved ones as a kind and beautiful person who had recently completed her training to become a certified nursing assistant and was excited to begin a new chapter in her life.
