The mother of a Black teenager who was tragically shot in Alabama this week has expressed her belief that her daughter’s transgender identity played a role in her untimely death.
According to Captain Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, 18-year-old Cameron Thompson was shot multiple times shortly after midnight on Monday. Her body was discovered that afternoon only a few blocks away from her residence.
According to Kennedy, the suspect and the victim were acquainted with each other. During the investigation, authorities examined Thompson’s online presence and discovered that she had made social media posts regarding the suspect’s sexual orientation prior to her tragic death. The specific content of these posts and the nature of their relationship have not been disclosed by the police.
The suspect, who is under the age of 18, has been charged as an adult for Thompson’s murder. Due to state laws protecting the identity of juvenile defendants, further details have not been revealed.
Nikki Matthews-Cunningham, 37, Thompson’s mother, strongly believes that the shooting occurred due to Thompson’s identity.
“Of course” it was a hate crime, she told The Associated Press on Thursday. If it was a non-transgender girl who “said something about him on social media, he wouldn’t have lured her out of her home and killed her. But because my child was transgender, that’s why he did it.”
“I hate this happened to her, all because of her choice of wanting to be who she was. That’s the only reason she is dead,” she said.
The definition of a hate crime differs significantly from state to state. In Alabama, for instance, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity are not recognized as factors in the legal classification of a hate crime, as per the Department of Justice. On the other hand, 32 states include sexual orientation, while only 15 states include gender identity in their definition of hate crimes.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Thompson became the second transgender individual to be fatally shot in Alabama this year. The first was Tayy Thomas, a Black transgender teenager who was shot in Mobile, Alabama in May. AL.com reported that the man accused of Thomas’ murder was identified as her long-term romantic partner, according to her family.
According to the annual report released by the Human Rights Campaign on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, there were 36 reported deaths due to violence within a 12-month period ending in November. Shockingly, over half of these victims were Black transgender women.
“Cameron’s death is not just a profound loss for her family and loved ones — it is a heartbreaking and unjust loss for the entire transgender community in Alabama and beyond,” said Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, the campaign’s Alabama director. “Her life mattered. Her dreams, her light, and her limitless potential were stolen far too soon. Law enforcement must conduct a thorough, transparent investigation and find some measure of justice for Cameron’s loved ones.”
Thompson’s intelligence and ambition were evident to all, and according to her mother, she had a captivating presence that could light up any room. Her aspirations included attending college and eventually making a move to the bustling city of New York.
“She had only begun to embark on her journey,” Matthews-Cunningham lamented.
Thompson completed her high school education this year by participating in an alternative jobs training program. She made the switch after facing discrimination at her previous public school, where classmates and certain staff members objected to her use of the women’s restroom and refused to acknowledge her preferred pronouns, according to Matthews-Cunningham.
“She struggled with people not wanting to accept her for who she was. But she was such a good person,” Matthews-Cunningham said.
