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Black Trans Woman Nikai David Fatally Shot in Oakland, California, 50th Trans Victim of 2021
Friends of Nikai David are in shock after learning of her murder this past week. The 33-year-old was a model and aspiring social media influencer who had celebrated her birthday not even a week ago.
Police said just after 4 a.m., officers responded to a shooting on Castro Street in West Oakland and found Nikai, a transgender woman, suffering from a gunshot wound. She died at the scene. Police said at this point there is no evidence of a hate crime. “I know there was some type of physical altercation that led to my sister getting shot in her head,” Banks said she has no idea why anyone would want to harm Nikai.
It is really important to honor Nikai’s life before we pivot to the impact of her death. She dreamed of opening a clothing boutique.
Nikai is the fiftieth trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming person reported killed in 2021. Forty-four of these neighbors have been BIPOC. She is the 34th victim who identified as Black. 30 of these victims were under the age of 30. That we know of, as many deaths go unreported or unacknowledged. 2021 is now the most violent year on record for our trans neighbors in the United States, surpassing the previous total of 44 deaths in 2020.
