Koko Da Doll, a black transgender girl who was featured within the acclaimed 2023 Sundance Film Festival documentary Kokomo City, died Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia. She was 35 years outdated.
The Atlanta police division reported that the intercourse employee — whose actual identify is Rasheeda Williams — had been discovered with an “apparent gunshot wound” on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive within the Southwest a part of the town, Deadline reported.
Koko was “not alert, conscious or breathing” and was subsequently pronounced useless on the scene, per the report.
As of but, authorities haven’t named any suspects within the taking pictures.
“Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police wrote in an announcement. “The investigation continues.”
A outstanding determine in Atlanta’s transgender neighborhood, Williams is probably greatest recognized for starring within the award-winning documentary Kokomo City, which premiered on the Sundance Film Festival in January.
The movie adopted the lives of Koko and three different African-American trans intercourse staff in Atlanta and New York City, shedding gentle on the under-explored matter of violence and discrimination confronted by trans folks within the black neighborhood.
“I will be the reason there’s more opportunities and doors opening for transgender girls,” the intercourse employee wrote on Instagram in January. “What you’ve done here for me is going to save a lot of lives.”
Kokomo City’s solid and crew have been devastated over Williams’ dying.
“Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women,” Kokomo City director D. Smith mentioned in an announcement, per Variety. “I created ‘Kokomo City’ because I wanted to show the fun, humanized [sic], natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again.”
While nonetheless “struggling to process Koko’s passing,” Smith mentioned he was inspired greater than ever earlier than to share her story with the world.
“She will inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten,” the songwriter mentioned.
Fellow Kokomo City star Daniella Carter paid tribute to Williams on Instagram, writing: “Never thought I’d lose you, but here I am standing alone without you by my side we’re sisters for life we promised, but now you’re gone I don’t know what to do without you I’m going crazy, I’m trying to hold on to keep strong …”
The Sundance Film Festival additionally provided their condolences.
“We are saddened to hear about the death of Rasheeda Williams aka Koko Da Doll,” they wrote on Twitter. We have been honored [sic] to have her on the competition this yr with ‘Kokomo City,’ the place she reminded Black trans girls, ‘We can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.’ It is a tragic loss.”
Koko’s dying is reportedly considered one of three violent crimes towards transgender folks this yr which are underneath investigation by the Atlanta police, per a police assertion.
“While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence against Black and brown transgender women in America,” they wrote.
This story initially appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission
Originally printed as Transgender star Koko Da Doll, 35, shot useless in Atlanta, US
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
