A 33-year-old Black transgender woman was killed in West Oakland early December 4.
Nikai David, who resided in Hayward, was found shot around 4 a.m. December 4 after police responded to reports of gunshots along West Oakland's Castro Street, according to a report from KTVU-TV. She later died at the scene.
Oakland LGBTQ Community Center employee Ashlee Banks, who knew David, is planning a way to honor her and will keep the community apprised of updates, according to an email from the center.
Banks told KTVU that David was a model and an aspiring social media influencer who wanted to open her own clothing boutique. Police told the station that no arrests have been made and no motive has been identified.
David's death marks the 159th homicide this year in Oakland, which in September surpassed 2020's total of 102 homicides. It also comes just weeks after the Human Rights Campaign announced that more trans and gender-nonconforming people were reported killed in 2021 in the United States than any other year on record. David's death is at least the 50th, HRC reports.
"For the second year in a row, the trans community has seen a grim milestone: 2021 has become the deadliest year on record, just as 2020 was," stated Joni Madison, HRC's interim president. "We must fight for change. We must dismantle this stigma. We must bring this epidemic of violence to an end."
Just last week, the Bay Area Reporter reported on a gay man in West Oakland, Marco Chavez, who was the victim of an October 30 shooting by an unknown assailant. He survived and is in a lengthy recovery period, he and his husband, Jimmie Lopez, said in interviews.
The Oakland Police Department, the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, and Banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment December 7.
The B.A.R. will update this story as more information becomes available.
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