Black trans woman Dream Johnson killed in Washington, D.C.

Police in Washington, D.C., are seeking the public’s help in finding the killer of a Black transgender woman who was shot to death about 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

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Bystanders flagged police down to where Dream Johnson, 28, lay unconscious on a city street, having been shot multiple times, the Washington Blade reports. She was taken to a local hospital, “but all lifesaving efforts failed and the victim was pronounced dead,” says a police statement quoted by the Blade.

The police did not identify Johnson as trans, but trans activists and her family said she was. She had planned to legally change her to Dream.

Related: Here are the 31 transgender Americans lost to violence in 2024

Vanna Terrell, Johnson’s aunt, told the Blade she heard that witnesses saw three men approach Johnson as she walked along the street and used a derogatory term toward her, so Terrell believes they knew Johnson was trans. Terrell also heard that the shooter emptied his gun, leading her to believe her niece was the victim of a hate crime.

A police spokesperson, however, told the Blade there was nothing to indicate Johnson’s killing was a hate crime.

Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for Johnson’s death. Homicide Detective Natasha Kennedy is the lead investigator in the case, and anyone with information is asked to contact her at (202) 380-6198.

GLAAD posted a statement to Instagram saying, “We cannot allow this pattern of violence against trans people — and especially trans women of color — to continue. No one should live in fear for being themselves.” Fifty-two percent of all anti-LGBTQ+ incidents tracked by GLAAD’s Alert Desk target trans people, the organization noted.