'Kokomo City' Star Koko Da Doll Shot and Killed in Atlanta
Another transgender woman has been shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia. Say her name: Rasheeda Williams, known as Koko Da Doll.
As reported by Deadline, Koko is best known as one of the featured subjects of the documentary "Kokomo City," delving into the lives of transgender sex workers in intimate and candid interviews.
The award-winning documentary went on to be featured at the Sundance Film Festival in January, winning the Adobe NEXT Innovator Award, and the Audience Award in the festival's NEXT section.
Walking the Sundance red carpet, Koko looked glamorous and at home telling her story. But on Tuesday night, the 35-year-old's life was tragically cut short.
According to investigating Atlanta police, they were called to the scene of the shooting and found a victim they did not identify immediately as Koko. However, friends confirmed that it was indeed her.
"She was not alert, conscious or breathing and pronounced deceased on scene by AFR [Atlanta Fire Rescue Department]," police said in a statement. "Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation continues."
The director of "Kokomo City" and interview subjects expressed shock on social media over the news.
"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," director D. Smith shared in a statement to Deadline. "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."
Koko is the third, black transgender woman to be shot this year and the second to be killed. In April, Ashley Burton was shot and killed by an unknown gunman.
In a tweet on Thursday, officials with the Atlanta Police Department shared, "The Atlanta Police Department (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."
"Kokomo City" was executive produced by Lena Waithe, Stacy Barthe, William Melillo, and Rishi Rajani. A central theme of the film is the threats of violence many transgender women face when attempting to make a living through sex work, an occupation they often have no choice but to pursue.
In an Instagram post, "Kokomo City" star Daniella Carter wrote, "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..."
Fellow "Kokomo City" cast member Dominique Silver wrote on Instagram, "My sister you are gone but you will NEVER be forgotten. I am struggling right now to grasp the fact that we just spoke and now you aren't here by my side!"
According to the Transgender Law Center, three out of four transgender sex workers have experienced sexual violence or intimate partner violence in their lives.
According to Atlanta police, there is no indication that Koko's shooting was connected to sex work.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover Koko's funeral costs, and raised $10,556 of its $15,000 goal. "Hillman Grad, Lena Waithe's production company, donated $2,500," Deadline reports.
Rest in paradise, Koko.