Mourners Grieve the Shooting Death of Transwoman Daquane 'Dream' Johnson, 28

Mourners will gather this weekend to grieve the shooting death – and celebrate the life – of 28-year-old Daquane "Dream" Johnson, a transwoman of color who was killed in Washington, D.C. on July 5.

"At approximately 12:51 a.m. on Saturday [July 5], officers from the Sixth District were flagged down in the 2000 block of Benning Road, Northeast," local ABC affiliate WJLA reported. "Police officers found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds."

Later identified as Johnson, the victim was transported by first responders "to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead," the news channel added.

"A memorial honoring Dream's life is scheduled for Saturday, July 12th," a news release from the National Black Justice Coalition reported.

The organization decried the slaying, with NBJC Director of Public Policy and Programs Victoria Kirby York stating, "Before she was shot, witnesses report the suspects calling Dream a derogatory name, making it likely she was targeted, harassed, and killed because of her identity as a trans woman.

The Washington Blade reported in detail on the case, saying that D.C. police had verified that Johnson was a transgender woman. The outlet also interviewed Johnson's aunt, Vanna Terrell, who said witnesses to the killing "reportedly saw three men approach Johnson as Johnson walked along Benning Road and one of them called Johnson a derogatory name, leading Terrell to believe the men recognized Johnson as a transgender woman."

The witnesses also said that the gunman fired his weapon repeatedly at Johnson until he ran out of ammunition – a case of "overkill" that is not uncommon in hate crimes.

However, "In response to an inquiry from the Blade, Officer Ebony Major, a D.C. police spokesperson, stated in an email, 'At this point there is nothing in the investigation that indicates the offense was motivated by hate or bias'," the Blade went on to report.

"I pray that community members come forward to help solve this crime and provide the family with justice and peace," Kirby York said in the NBJC release. "Too often, the murders of our trans siblings remain unsolved, and it should be a priority of law enforcement across the country to solve these cases, to prevent more murders from occurring, and to show the trans community that they are cared for and are safe where they live."

"Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Homicide Detective Natasha Kennedy at 202-380-6198. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction," the NBJC added.

The plague of lethal anti-trans violence has been ongoing for years. Until recently, The Human Rights Campaign tracked deadly violence targeting transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. The HRC reported on the deaths of 32 individuals in 2024, though the actual rate of lethal violence may have been much higher due to underreporting of the crimes and misgendering of the victims.

The HRC published grim statistics, noting that 78% of the victims of crime targeting trans, non-binary, and gender expansive people were of color, while "56% were Black transgender women". A shocking "38% were misgendered or deadnamed by authorities or the press," the organization noted.