Transgender woman shot to death before apartment fire, police say

MILWAUKEE (WTMJ) - Members of the transgender community in Milwaukee are remembering a 31-year-old woman killed and reminding other transgender women of the dangers of just being yourself.

Milwaukee Fire responded to an apartment building Sunday morning, evacuating residents following a fire near the front of the building. Police say inside one unit, firefighters discovered a woman who had been shot to death.

Authorities identified the deceased as 31-year-old Cashay Henderson.

Cashay Henderson, a 31-year-old transgender woman, was found shot to death in her Milwaukee... — Cashay Henderson, a 31-year-old transgender woman, was found shot to death in her Milwaukee apartment. Police are investigating her death as a homicide.(Source: Diverse & Resilient/Facebook, WTMJ via CNN)

According to Milwaukee nonprofit, Diverse & Resilient, Henderson identified as a Black transgender woman. The nonprofit posted a message on Facebook mourning the 31-year-old, saying she was a “loved and valued member of our community.”

“I was extremely saddened and angered hearing that she had tragically lost her life in the way that she did,” said Diverse & Resilient’s Justin Roby.

Police are investigating Henderson’s death as a homicide. They are still searching for a suspect or suspects.

Henderson is the third transgender woman to be killed in Milwaukee in the last eight months.

Roby spoke about the threats transgender people in the area face.

“It’s a considerable amount of danger they’re always worried about. So it’s not only the actual violence, it’s the vigilance that comes with the threat of violence that they have to deal with on a daily basis,” he said.

Henderson’s family created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and the costs associated with returning her body to her hometown of Chicago. Her cousin described her on the fundraising page as a “bubbly spirit with a down to earth, tell it like it is personality.”