WASHINGTON -- Six weeks after a transgender woman was shot and killed near the Prince George's County, DC line and her killer is still out there.
On Saturday, many of Ashanti Carmon’s family, friends and fellow members of the LGBT community gathered to celebrate her life and the lives of several others who have died recently.
Police say Carmon, 27, was shot multiple times and killed around 6:20 a.m. on March 30, on Jost Street in Fairmount Heights, MD.
“You hear about people, loved ones being killed every day, for one thing or another,” said Deborah Carmon, Ashanti’s aunt, who spoke at Saturday’s service. “I don’t like the color of your skin. I don’t like the way you talk or the way you dress. But, the people who do these things, the animals that do these things, need to understand what they have done.”
The service remembered Carmon and five other members of D.C.’s LGBT community who have died of various causes since the end of March. They include Robert “Seven” Chase, Kyrell Kris Morant, Patricia “Cleo” Queen, Keisha Washington and Brooks Acors.
Chase’s mother, Corrine Chase, also spoke alongside her husband and daughter. “The pain of losing a child is extremely heartbreaking,” Chase said as her voice cracked.
Carmon, who acknowledged many of her niece’s immediate family didn’t accept or understand why she transitioned to a woman, delivered a message to those gathered.
“She’s not the only person, you understand, that lives her life according to what makes her happy. And I already know she was not happy until she was Ashanti,” said Carmon.
Prince George’s County police have not yet located the person responsible for Carmon’s death. A $25,000 cash reward is being offered for the tip that leads to the killer.
If you have any information about the case, call the PGPD Homicide Unit at 301-772-4925 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477.