By BTL Staff
CALIFORNIA – A transgender woman was found dead in East Hollywood Oct. 2 after being shot from close range. She was quickly rushed to the hospital under critical condition and was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m.
The scene was caught on tape as three men followed her, attacked her and tried to take her purse until she fled; the assailants then shot her. The video was obtained by CBS Los Angeles and investigators believe the 3 a.m. attack was a robbery gone wrong.
The woman was identified over the weekend by family members as Aniya "Ray" Parker. Investigators do not believe this to be a hate crime, however the transgender community of L.A. has painted a different picture and have come out to honor Parker's memory.
"It's really, really frightening for all of us, especially out here in the streets and stuff, because discrimination is still very high in our community," Karina Samala of the Transgender Advisory Board of West Hollywood told ABC News.
No arrests have yet been made, but the LA Police are looking for two to three Hispanic men who allegedly fled the scene on foot. Authorities are processing the video and speaking with witnesses to get more insight.
Parker was murdered just shy of her 48th birthday. Relatives have started a GoFundMe crowd-funding page to help raise money to transport Parker's body to her native Arkansas for burial, Parker's sister told Laweekly.com.
Transgender Woman Killed In East Hollywood
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