HRC Mourns the Loss of Ebony Morgan, a Trans Woman Murdered in Virginia

by HRC Staff

HRC was horrified and saddened to learn that Ebony Morgan, a transgender woman of color, was shot and killed in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Post submitted by Brian McBride, former HRC Digital Strategist 

HRC was horrified and saddened to learn that Ebony Morgan, a transgender woman of color, was shot and killed in Lynchburg, Virginia, over the holiday weekend.

On Sunday morning, local police responded to a shooting where they discovered 28-year-old Morgan’s body had multiple gunshot wounds, according to Lynchburg Police Department’s Facebook page. Morgan was transferred to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.  

Authorities have named Kenneth Allen Kelly Jr., who fled the scene before police arrived, as a person of interest in the case. Police have not publicly disclosed if the homicide was a hate crime, but are investigating whether Morgan’s gender identity was a motive, reports The News and Advance.

Facebook statement posted by The Lynchburg Diversity Center and Lynchburg Transgender Alliance called Morgan’s death “a sad day for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community of Virginia. And a very sad day for us in Lynchburg”

Morgan’s death marks the 15th known homicide of a transgender person in the U.S. this year. So far, almost every victim has been a woman of color -- and nearly all have been Black women.

HRC extends its sincere condolences to Ms. Morgan’s family and friends during this difficult time.