Rasheeda Williams, a Black trans woman better known as “Koko Da Doll” who was a major part of the hit documentary “Kokomo City,” was shot and killed in Atlanta on Tuesday night. She was 35 years old.
Her death was confirmed by friends as well as the Sundance Film Festival’s Twitter page. TheWrap further confirmed with the Atlanta Police Department that contrary to previous reports, the shooting happened Tuesday night, not Wednesday. This post has been updated to reflect that correction.
An APD spokesperson confirmed early Friday that on Tuesday around 10:42 p.m. local, officers responded to 2457 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. in reference to a person shot.
“Upon arrival, officers located a female victim with an apparent gunshot wound,” the spokesperson said. “She was not alert, conscious or breathing and pronounced deceased on scene by AFR. Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation continues.”
“We are saddened to hear about the death of Rasheeda Williams aka Koko Da Doll,” the statement read. “We were honored to have her at the Festival this year with KOKOMO CITY, where she reminded Black trans women, ‘we can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.’ It is a tragic loss.”
Atlanta Police said they are investigating a deadly shooting after a person was found near a shopping plaza in southwest Atlanta, according to Gaye Magazine. However, police in Atlanta have not confirmed Williams was the shooting victim, but friends of her’s did, according to Them.
Representatives for the Atlanta Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
On Twitter, Atlanta Police said in a release, “APD is actively investigating three violent crimes involving transgender women this year. While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America.”
Williams was most known by her name Koko Da Doll and played a pivotal role in the award-winning documentary “Kokomo City,” which highlighted the struggle of Koko and other Black trans women in Atlanta and New York.
This is a developing story