Teen arrested in fatal shooting of transgender woman

William Watson faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A teenager was arrested Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of a transgender woman in Miami-Dade County's Goulds neighborhood.

According to Miami-Dade police detectives, a witness identified William Watson as Marquis "Kiki" Fantroy's killer in a photo lineup. Records show Watson is in foster care. 

The 21-year-old transgender woman died July 31 after an early morning shooting near her home.

According to the arrest report, Watson got upset during a conversation, shot at a person officers identified as "Victim Bell" and then started chasing and shooting at Fantroy. 

Detectives said Watson ran after her and shot at her several times. 

Fantroy was near a corner where Southwest 115th Court and Southwest 116th Avenue meet, north of Southwest 224th Street, when she collapsed, police said. 

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel took her to Jackson South Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. 

Fantroy was the 13th transgender woman killed this year in the U.S. and all of them have been African-American, TransGriot reported. Advocates reported 26 transgender women were killed in the U.S. in 2018 and 29 were killed in 2017.

Watson faces a charge of second-degree murder and an attempted murder charge.

Here is the list of other transgender women killed this year:

  • Zoe Spears, 23, and Ashanti Carmon, 27, were killed in Maryland.
  • Muhlaysia Booker, 23, and Chynal Lindsey, 26, were killed in Texas.
  • Dana Martin, 31, was killed in Alabama.
  • Jazzaline Ware was killed in Tennessee.
  • Claire Legato, 21, was killed in Ohio.
  • Michelle "Tamika" Washington, 40, was killed in Pennsylvania.
  • Brooklyn Lindsey, 32, was killed in Missouri.
  • Paris Cameron, 20, was killed in Michigan. 
  • Chanel Scurlock, 23, was killed in North Carolina
  • Denali Berries Stuckey, 29, was killed in South Carolina.

Source: The Human Rights Campaign


About the Author

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

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