Tiffany Harris, a Black transgender woman was fatally stabbed at a Bronx apartment building on July 26. She was found unconscious with stab wounds on Jerome Avenue Sunday morning.
What We Know:
- Harris was found unconscious with stab wounds on Jerome Avenue Sunday morning. She was transferred to Saint Barnabas hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The police were inconsistent with Harris’ gender identification. They made a physical judgement and identified her as female, but later identified her as male based on her Government Identification card. Princess Janae Palace, an organization that supports homeless LGBQT adults, identified the victim.
- The NYPD has released footage of a man who they believe to be a suspect in the involvement of Harris’ murder. According to NY Daily News, the person of interest is a Black man in his 20s, wearing dark pants, a white T-shirt, and a surgical mask.
- NYPD does not have a clear indication of what led to Harris’ murder. She has a reported criminal history and it is not currently linked to her murder. She reportedly served over three years in prison for attempted robbery.
- Harris’ death adds to a long list of reported murders of Black transgender women. Black transgender women face discrimination in various different ways. This includes housing, health care, unemployment, and police brutality.
- According to the Human Rights Campaign, 26 transgender people suffered violent deaths in the U.S., majority of them were Black trans women. In 2019, seven transgender people were violently killed, according to the HRC. Just last month, two Black transgender women Riah Milton and Dominique “Rem’Mie” Fells were fatally killed in the midst of the Trump administration reversing protections for transgender people in the U.S. health care system. Under Trump’s new rule a transgender person could be refused care for something as simple as a checkup from the doctor’s office.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Harris is urged to contact NYPD at 800-577-8477.
