At 22 years old and five months pregnant, Gladys Johnson was killed in Milwaukee when her home was set on fire, allegedly by her partner. Her three-year-old daughter survived. Johnson did not.
At 34 years old, Bianca Huntley, a pregnant mother of two, was found dead on I-75 in Atlanta during rush hour. Her SUV sat on the median, turn signal still blinking, after she tried to escape her vehicle and dial 911 before she died.
At 38 years old, Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was shot three times in her Florida home by her husband, Stephen Bowen. She was found with her body wrapped in blankets and garbage bags. She had just buried her brother and was weeks away from announcing a run for Congress.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a devastating pattern.
Thirteen Lives Cut Short
In 2026 alone, at least thirteen Black women have been murdered across the United States. Their names are: Ashanti Allen, Victoria Alexander, Ashlee Jenae, Qualeisha Barnes, Raven Edwards, Teonia Stokes, Gladys Johnson, Daneshia Heller, Gabryel Ayers, Imani Dia Smith, Bianca Huntley, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, and Nancy Metayer Bowen. But these are the names that made it to the major headlines. There may be many more that the world didn’t hear about.
According to reports compiled from news sources and social media documentation, these women were killed in their homes, at their workplaces, on holiday abroad, and on public highways. Their alleged killers include current partners, estranged husbands, boyfriends, and, in some cases, strangers.
Among the victims:
- Qualeisha Barnes, 36: Known by her stage name Siditty, she was shot four times in the face while sitting in her Range Rover on a southeast Atlanta street at 1:30 a.m. She was 14 weeks pregnant. Her unborn child did not survive. She was two semesters away from finishing her nursing degree. No suspects have been named.
- Imani Dia Smith, 26: A former Broadway child star who played Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, Jordan Jackson-Small, 35, in their Edison, New Jersey home. He has been charged with first-degree murder. She leaves behind a three-year-old son.
- Dr. Cerina Fairfax, 49: A dentist and mother, she was shot by her estranged husband, former Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, in the basement of their home before he fatally shot himself upstairs. Their teenage son called 911. A judge had just ordered Justin to move out.
- Ashanti Allen, 23: Eight months pregnant, she was killed by Kevin Faux, 24, the father of her unborn child. Faux had previously been convicted of assaulting Allen just months before her death. Her baby never took his first breath.
- Daneshia Heller, 30: A mother of three daughters, she was shot execution-style in a vacant Fort Lauderdale apartment by Altavious Powell, 34, who then moved her naked body and left it near a dumpster covered in cardboard. Her father said: “He left her like she was nothing.“
- Ashlee Jenae, 31: She traveled to Zanzibar, Africa, to celebrate her 31st birthday with a man she was seeing. She was found dead. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, and no suspect has been named.
- Teonia Stokes, 22: Pregnant and weeks away from graduating from Kennesaw State University, she was killed in Monroe, Georgia. A man has been charged in connection with her death.
- Raven Edwards: A mother of three who had been battling kidney failure since 2025, she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Washington, D.C.
- Gabryel Ayers, 26: She was killed in a targeted ambush by a known suspect in Chicago, leaving behind a baby daughter who will only know her through photographs.
- Victoria Alexander, 38: A licensed practical nurse, she was gunned down at her own workplace by her estranged husband, who then turned the gun on himself.
‘No Space Has Been Safe’
Advocates and family members have expressed alarm at the range of locations where these killings have occurred — private homes, public streets, workplaces, highways, and even international vacation destinations.
“No space has been safe,” one social media post documenting the cases read. “In 2026, Black women are being murdered in their homes, at work, on holiday and on the road. By partners. By boyfriends. By husbands. By strangers.”
The post, which has been widely shared, adds:
“These are only the cases that made the news. For every name in this thread, there are countless more that never got a headline, never got a report, never got a mention. Black women are being killed and the world is not paying attention.”
Check on a Sister
Advocates are urging the public to check on their sisters, trust their instincts, speak up, and report what they know, whether it involves a dangerous relationship, a violent attack, or a targeted killing.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. Victims and concerned individuals can also text START to 88788 or visit thehotline.org for resources and support.
“No Black woman should have to fight for her life alone,” advocates say. “You are not alone. Help is available.”
Family members of the victims have echoed this sentiment, calling for greater awareness, improved police response to domestic violence cases, and stronger legal protections for women, particularly those who are pregnant.
As one relative of a victim said: “These are not just statistics. These are daughters. Mothers. Sisters. Friends. They had dreams. They had futures. And they were taken.”
