Michelle Henry, a “Light” in San Francisco’s Trans Community, Was Killed

Content warning: This story involves a graphic description of anti-trans violence.

The San Francisco LGBTQ+ community is mourning the death of a trans woman who was killed on May 15.

Twenty-five-year-old Michelle Henry was stabbed multiple times and pronounced dead after being involved in a physical altercation on the afternoon of May 15, according to the local LGBTQ+ newspaper Bay Area Reporter. As the news of her death spread, Henry, a participant in the SF LGBT Center’s youth programs, was remembered as a “ray of light.”

"Michelle's death is a profound loss for our community,” said Rebecca Rolfe, the organization’s executive director, in an email. “There are no words to fully convey what we are collectively feeling right now, our grief is immense. We want to thank those who cherished Michelle, and our hearts are with all who had the opportunity to truly know, love, and care for her."

On Tuesday, friends and family gathered to remember Henry at a memorial vigil held at the San Francisco bar Mother. The LGBT Center is currently creating an altar to keep her memory alive.

Veronica Pritipaul, who works as a navigation specialist at the LGBT Center, called Henry a “light in our community” and said that she “committed her life to trans liberation.” “With her passing, we have not only lost our dear sister, but a mentor and stalwart of the trans community,” Pritipaul told the Reporter.

Describing Henry as “such a loving person,” her close friend, Jackson Asher, said she had been a stalwart support over the years. She had been there for Asher when they were at their absolute lowest, Asher recalled. “When she loved, she loved hard,” they added. “When I went through the rock bottom of my addiction, she was there for me. You wanted to be around her energy. Her energy drew you to her."

Friends believe that Henry’s death was an anti-trans hate crime, but the San Francisco Police Department is not currently investigating the incident as a bias killing. "At this time, we do not have evidence that this incident is hate related,” police said in a statement.

Law enforcement officials arrested 33-year-old Raymani Yuhashi, who was charged with the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought, according to the Reporter. As of May 21, Yuhashi’s name was not in the county jail’s online system. When this reporter looked up the accused’s name, it was also not in the system as of press time.

Henry’s death has been considered a homicide, as David Serrano Sewell, executive director of the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, confirmed to the Reporter.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, however, affirmed that the investigation remains “active and ongoing.” “The police had probable cause to make an arrest based on the evidence gathered at the scene; however, to make appropriate charging decisions for criminal prosecution further investigation is required,” a representative told the Reporter. “Once the investigation is complete, all of the evidence gathered will be assessed, and if we believe that we can meet our burden of proof, we will file charges accordingly."

The district attorney’s office offered their condolences to Henry’s family and friends. "Our Victim Services Division is available to offer support and assistance as they heal and move through this trauma," the spokesperson told press.

Henry is at least the 15th trans or gender nonconforming person killed this year through violent means, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC’s database, which currently includes 14 people, has not yet been updated to reflect Henry’s death. Almost four in five of those killed this year have been people of color, with just under a third being Black trans women. Most were killed with a firearm.

As the LGBTQ+ community mourns yet another loss, San Francisco’s Transgender District paid tribute to Henry in an Instagram post calling her a “beautiful soul that was taken from us too soon.” “At 25, she had her whole life to look forward to,” the post reads. “She was a friends [sic] to everyone and always willing to help out another [sic].

Honey Mahogany, who was recently appointed the director of the city’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, called Henry a “cherished member of our community.” “Her murder is a reminder to us that, even here in San Francisco, we have to continue fighting for the safety and well-being of all transgender people,” she said.

Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.

Originally Appeared on them.