An Atlanta trans woman who was chronicled in the Sundance Film Festival documentary Kokomo City was shot and killed Tuesday, police say.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, Rasheeda Williams, who was also a performer who went by the name Koko Da Doll, was found on the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW near the intersection with Hamilton E. Holmes Drive. She was 35.
Police say they found Williams with bullet wounds after they were called to the scene shortly before 11pm. “She was not alert, conscious or breathing, and pronounced deceased on scene,” reads a statement from APD. “Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
In an Instagram post, the director of the documentary in which she was featured confirmed her death, adding that he created the film to show the “natural side of Black trans women.”
“On Tuesday night, Rasheeda Williams was shot and killed in Atlanta. Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives.”
The Atlanta Police Department said that Williams’ death marks the third in which transgender women in the city were involved in violent crimes since the year begin. Two of the three crimes took place within the last two weeks.
Investigators are requesting anyone with information into Williams’ death to contactCrime Stoppers Atlanta online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org or via telephone at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Anyone with information leading to an arrest is eligible to receive a $2,000 award. Tipsters are allowed to provide information on anonymity and are not required to provide any identifying information.
