Trans man Tee Arnold shot to death in Florida

Tee Arnold, a 36-year-old Black transgender man, has died of a gunshot wound he suffered early in the morning of April 3 at a shopping and entertainment complex in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Police were called to the Village at Gulfstream Park about 1:30 a.m. and found Arnold had been shot, TV station WPLG reports. He was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where he died April 7.

Arnold had posted on social media that his life was in danger. Hallandale Beach police are looking for a woman suspect who was known to Arnold. “We don’t believe this was a hate crime,” Capt. Aaron Smith told the station. “When we have incidents like this, we do our very best and we do everything to keep our community safe.”

Arnold was also known as Lagend Billions. His family and friends paid tribute in social media posts, noting his supportive nature. “I thank you for always answering the phone when I was lost, for never being afraid to tell me when I’m wrong, telling me to pray when I was weak, always offering words of encouragement,” friend Cece Gates wrote on Facebook.

“Thank you for blessing the world with your greatness, laughter, and good energy,” Gates added. “Thank you for showing the world that there is nothing better than being your true authentic self.”

“Tee was a significant male adult figure in the lives of his nieces and nephews,” Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondentsreports. “Friends, former coworkers, neighbors all seem to have stories about this man taking time to connect and listen to them, to support them especially during difficult times.”

Arnold attended Miami Central Senior High School and Florida Memorial University, according to the site. His interests included travel, entrepreneurship, music, and cuisine. He was planning to go to Bali this year.

“Tee Arnold is the fourth death driven by hate of a trans man this year, marking a concerning rise in fatal violence against our brothers,” Victoria Kirby York, director of public policy and programs at the National Black Justice Coalition, said in a press release. “Weeks prior to his death, Tee posted that his life was in danger, indicating that if the police had taken action on the threats against his life, this tragedy could have been prevented. We also cannot ignore that this murder occurred in Florida, a state that has been leading the charge in anti-trans legislation and rhetoric. Similarly, we cannot forget that, more often than not, requests for law enforcement protection from Black LGBTQ+/SGL people are not provided even though we face disproportionate hate-driven violence.”

NBJC continues to push for passage of the Chyna Gibson Stop the Transgender Murder Epidemic Act of 2023, which would establish a commission to address the epidemic of fatal violence, economic discrimination, and other factors disproportionately affecting trans people and make recommendations to Congress on appropriate remedies.

Anyone with information that may lead to an arrest in Arnold’s death is asked to call Hallandale Beach police at (954) 457-1400 or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS. Tipsters have the option to remain anonymous, and a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered.