Shannon Boswell Obituary
Shannon Boswell, a 30-year-old Black transgender woman was tragically killed in Atlanta. Known for her kindness and unique spirit, Shannon was celebrated in a memorial service on July 13th, where friends and family gathered to honor her life. She was remembered as a person who “loved people,” enjoyed “watching movies,” and lived life to the fullest. A close friend described her as a “best friend” who was always there when needed.
Shannon’s death marks the 20th known violent killing of a transgender or gender-expansive person in 2024 and the third in just two weeks, following the deaths of Liara Tsai and Pauly Likens. The HRC notes that many such deaths often go unreported or misreported, contributing to an underestimation of the true scope of violence faced by the transgender community.
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Tori Cooper, HRC’s Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, expressed profound sorrow over Shannon’s death. “Shannon lived her life out loud,” Cooper said. “Her death is a tragedy for her friends, family, and the Atlanta community. Those who knew her, loved her. Too often trans women like Shannon are killed by people we know. If we can’t trust people that we know, then who can we trust?”
The incident occurred on July 2nd, just after 11 PM. DeKalb County police responded to a reported crash, finding Shannon dead at the scene with no driver present. Initially, authorities did not realize she had been shot. A neighbor reported hearing a gunshot followed by what sounded like a car crash. The medical examiner has yet to determine whether Shannon’s death was due to the crash or the shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the DeKalb County Police Department.
Shannon’s mother, Tammy Boswell, recounted receiving calls from Shannon’s friends and boyfriend on Tuesday evening, informing her of Shannon’s death. Despite multiple calls to the police, it wasn’t until the medical examiner’s report that the police confirmed Shannon had been shot. “They killed my baby… [she] was shot and then left in the street like a deer,” Tammy said.
Trans people in Georgia face a disproportionate risk of fatal violence, particularly involving firearms. Shannon is the 22nd transgender person killed in Georgia since HRC began tracking such violence in 2013, making it the state with the fifth-highest number of recorded fatalities. Shannon’s death is the second trans murder in Georgia this year, following Righteous TK “Chevy” Hill, a 35-year-old Black trans man killed in February. Both victims were Black and were killed by gun violence in the Atlanta area.
Hate crimes involving firearms are alarmingly common in the U.S., with more than 25,000 such incidents annually, averaging nearly 70 cases a day. A report by Everytown for Gun Safety, HRC, and The Equality Federation Support Fund highlights a significant increase in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, especially against transgender individuals. In 2022, the FBI recorded a record-high number of hate crimes related to gender identity, with a 33% increase from the previous year.
Compounding this tragedy, Shannon was misgendered in some media and police reports. The HRC has found that about two-thirds of all known transgender victims of fatal violence have been misgendered by media or law enforcement. The HRC, Media Matters, and the Trans Journalists Association provide guidelines to ensure respectful and accurate reporting on transgender individuals.
Transgender and gender-expansive people in Georgia lack explicit protections from discrimination in various sectors, including employment and housing. Despite some recent political gains, the community continues to face unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. In June 2023, the HRC declared a National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans, citing over 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced that year, with more than 80 enacted into law. As of this writing, over 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 2024, with over 30 passed to date.
To honor Shannon’s memory and combat such violence, we must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful legislation. The intersectionality of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia, and homophobia disproportionately affects transgender women of color, particularly Black transgender women. It is imperative to foster acceptance, reject hate, and end stigma for the trans and gender-expansive community.
