In the early morning hours of November 23, 2020, the life of Chae'Meshia A'Shanti Simms, a 30-year-old Black transgender woman, was tragically cut short in Richmond, Virginia. Just before 6 a.m., authorities responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a detached garage in an alleyway. Inside the car, which was a rental her mother was using, first responders discovered Simms, the sole occupant, behind the wheel.
She had sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family and friends remembered Simms, who sometimes went by the nickname 'ChaeChae,' as a 'well-loved individual' who was kind, caring, and always looking out for others. Her father described the loss as 'tremendously heartbreaking' and publicly pleaded for the person responsible to come forward. In the wake of her death, the community held a candlelight vigil where her father vowed, 'We're never going to stop looking' for the person who took his daughter's life. Her death, which occurred just three days after the national Transgender Day of Remembrance, sent shockwaves through the local transgender community, highlighting the disproportionate violence faced by transgender women of color.
The investigation into Simms's death led to an arrest in December of that year. The U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended Ryejon Lee on outstanding warrants for robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Authorities stated that additional charges related to Simms's death were pending. Police had previously mentioned that a man was seen leaving the area on foot around the time of the shooting and had asked residents to check their surveillance cameras for any suspicious activity.
