A transgender woman in North Tyler, Texas, was found dead on 24th Street yesterday morning, with one of her friends believing it to be a hate crime.
According to KYTX, authorities say that 24-year-old Ty Lee Underwood was shot to death, despite her friends saying that she did not have any known enemies.
Her roommate spoke on the incident, believing that Ty was targeted due to being a transgender person:
“She was lovely, just a lovely person. Very real, down to earth person who didn’t deserve this, did not deserve this at all,”
“This has to be a hate crime, this has to be a hate crime, nothing else because that was an upstanding person with a good heart.”
Authorities think that Underwood was trying to flee in her car, which is what led her vehicle to get stuck in a grassy area and hit a mailbox. They are investigating to determine whether she was near the car or inside of it when the shots went off, prior to crashing.
Investigators do not have any leads to put out a warrant, but are offering a $1,000 reward for anyone with tips or information on the case. If you know anything about this incident, you can call (903) 531-1000 or Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at (903) 597-2833.
We will keep Ty’s loved ones in our prayers during this tragic time.
SOURCE: KYTX
