Brianna Ghey, who was 16 years old, was stabbed to death in a park in the UK on February 11. Ghey, who was trans, used TikTok and had posted more than 31,000 followers to her just before her death.
Two 15-year-olds have been arrested by the police. Local police told the media, “While this is being investigated as a targeted attack and Brianna was a trans girl, at this point we do not believe it was a hate crime.”
The principal of Ghey’s school said in a statement that the community was “shocked and really devastated” by the news. He reportedly declined to comment on claims that Ghey had been bullied at school.
“Brianna was a much loved daughter, granddaughter and little sister. She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on everyone who met her,” Ghey’s parents said in a statement to the media. “Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind. The loss of her young life has left a huge hole in our family, and we know the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same way.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family less than 24 hours ago has already raised more than the £4,216 goal and at the time of writing was over £26,500. But advocates on both sides of the pond say Ghey’s death certificate will be wrong because of UK gender identification laws. It is also said that some UK media outlets are giving Ghey the wrong gender and name in their coverage.
The author of The Transgender Issue, Shon Faye, said of Ghey’s death on Instagram:
“The specific circumstances of her murder have yet to emerge, but the context — the context is vicious and evil and entirely the adult world’s fault,”
Nadia Whittome, the UK’s youngest MP at 26, said on Twitter:
“Brianna deserved the chance to become a beautiful adult woman and live to see a world where transgender people are safe and respected. Anyone in the media using her dead name and knowing Brianna’s identity should be ashamed.”
British rapper Yungblud tweeted:
“Utterly heartbroken over the death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey. Protect trans children every day and fight relentlessly against the anti-trans sentiment and legislation being pushed by our heinous government.”
Transgender people in the UK and around the world have spoken out about Ghey’s death. The UK-based Transgender Action Block is holding a protest outside the Department of Education on Wednesday night.
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Brianna Ghey murder case (police report) Who killed her?
Cheshire Police say Ghey’s body was found in Warrington’s Culchett Linear Park. He had been stabbed several times. Brianna’s death is being investigated by the Home Office, who are conducting an autopsy to find out why she died. Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans said the crime was “an absolutely horrible attack”.
Detective Chief Superintendent Evans said the two possible witnesses they were looking for had curly black hair. He also said,
“The man wore a long dark hooded coat and the woman wore a blanket-style red checkered coat or signature black and lilac and long coat.”
“We also want to speak to anyone who was in the park from 1:30 to 4 p.m. yesterday,” he continued, “or anyone who saw Brianna in the hours leading up to her death.”
“We are asking people and businesses in the local community to review any CCTV or dashcam videos to see if there is anything that could help our investigation,” he added.
“I want to reassure the local community that we are working hard to find those responsible for Brianna’s death and that we have additional officers in and around Culcheth to assist with the investigation. We also have officials assisting Brianna’s family during this truly tragic time.”
“We are following numerous investigative leads to determine what led to the victim’s death and local residents will see an increased police presence in the area as we investigate this incident.”
Brianna Ghey had support from family, friends and a popular TikTok account. These support systems are crucial, but even they cannot withstand the vicious, public attacks on the livelihoods of transgender people. These ‘debates’ about our humanity have deadly consequences. pic.twitter.com/iYFEl8bXwK
— Eli Erlick (@EliErlick) February 13, 2023
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Waller, who works with DCS Evans, also told the public not to make any assumptions about the case. Some locals say that Ghye was killed by an escaped convict who wandered around the neighborhood.
“I understand the concern that this incident is likely to raise and I am aware that ‘in the slang rumors are circulating; I urge people not to speculate.”
He also said anyone concerned about what happened should talk to a local officer. However, he thinks that no one’s life is in danger at the moment.
Charlotte Nichols, a local MP, wrote on Facebook:
“I spoke to the Warrington Police Chief about the tragic death below. If you have information or have been in the area and have dashcam footage, even if you think it’s nothing, please come forward and let the police make that decision.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased and I will continue to work together and support our local police in any way I can to verify all the facts of this case.”
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