Atlanta police are investigating the shooting death of Rasheeda Williams, also known as “Koko Da Doll,” one of the Black trans women in the award-winning documentary Kokomo City.
Authorities confirmed Williams was shot and killed in Atlanta Tuesday night.
According to Deadline, police probed the area following the 35-year-old’s fatal shooting on Martin Luther King Drive SW.
“Upon arrival, officers located a female victim with an apparent gunshot wound. She was not alert, conscious or breathing and pronounced deceased on scene by AFR [Atlanta Fire Rescue Department],” police said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation continues.”
The film’s director, Grammy award-winning singer and producer D. Smith, confirmed Williams’ identity. She spoke highly of Williams and explained why creating Kokomo City was important for Black trans women.
“On Tuesday night, Rasheeda Williams was shot and killed in Atlanta. Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women,” Smith said in an exclusive statement from Deadline.
She continued, “I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again. It’s extremely difficult to process Koko’s passing, but as a team we are more encouraged now than ever to inspire the world with her story. To show how beautiful and full of life she was. She will inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten.”
Daniella Carter, Williams’ castmate in the film, took to Instagram and shared her thoughts on her passing.
“Never thought I’d lose you, but here I am standing alone without you by my side we’re sisters for life we promised, but now you’re gone I don’t know what to do without you I’m going crazy, I’m trying to hold on to keep strong…” she wrote in the post.
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As Shadow and Act referenced in a Sundance Film Festival review of the film, Black trans women have disturbingly lost their lives at an alarming rate across the United States. With Kokomo City, Smith humanized the lives of several Black trans women in Atlanta and New York who turned to sex work to survive in a world that struggled to accept them.
The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21.
