Cameron Thompson was shot multiple times just a few blocks away from her house.
According to the Associated Press, Nikki Matthews-Cunningham, the mother of Cameron Thompson, a Black teenager who was tragically shot and killed in Alabama on Dec. 16, has expressed her belief that her daughter’s gender identity as a transgender individual played a role in her untimely death.
The 18-year-old girl was shot many times in the early morning hours of Monday, and her body was discovered later that afternoon, just a few blocks from her house.
According to Captain Jack Kennedy, the 37-year-old Matthews-Cunningham, the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit believes that Thompson’s gender identity was the reason for her murder.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Matthews-Cunningham said, “Of course it was a hate crime.” She continued to suggest that if a cisgender girl said something about the suspected shooting 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.”
According to Captain Kennedy, Thompson was acquainted with the suspect and had shared information about the alleged shooter’s sexual orientation on social media prior to her tragic death.
The authorities are charging the suspect as an adult for Thompson’s murder, despite the fact that he is under 18 and his identity is being kept anonymous.
Alabama is one of only nine states that legally do not recognize “sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity in the legal classification of a hate crime” unlike race or religion. So, Matthews-Cunningham’s belief that Thompson was a victim of a hate crime might not hold much legal weight in the state.
Tragically, despite the state’s attempt to narrow down the definition of hate crimes, the Human Rights Campaign reveals a distressing statistic. Within a span of one year, a staggering 36 transgender individuals lost their lives due to acts of violence. What’s even more alarming is that over half of these victims were Black transgender women. This highlights the critical issue of intersectionality, where race and gender identity intersect to create a particularly dangerous reality for this marginalized community.
The campaign’s Alabama director, Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, said of the incident, “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. 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.”
According to Matthews-Cunningham, Thompson had big plans for her future. She was excited about moving to New York City and starting college. Sadly, her life was cut short before she could embark on this new chapter.
“She was just starting her life,” Matthews-Cunningham said emotionally. “She struggled with people not wanting to accept her for who she was. But she was such a good person.”
