It is mind-boggling; it happened out in the open. I’m heartbroken. Our residents are traumatized, our staff is traumatized. Everybody loved her. She was very popular.
--Anita Nelson, CEO of SRO Housing Corp., which operates Gateway
A security guard apprehended the gunman and held him until police arrived. A gun was recovered at the scene.
The alleged gunman approached her and opened fire.
--LAPD Officer Tony Im
Im alluded to a motive: the two were possible embroiled in a domestic dispute. Police say the suspect will be identified after he is processed by police. The victim, who was declared deceased at the scene of the shooting, was identified as a transgender woman.
Apparently there were dozens of witnesses to the shooting. It is reported that an angry mob chased the perp.
Everybody started screaming, 'Get him! Get him!'. The whole block chased after that man.
--Nakia Criddell
The fact that this person thought in the middle of the day in a highly populated area it was OK to do and he could walk away, the people weren't having it.
--LAPD Office Meghan Aquilar
Quartney was described as being disabled and having had trouble with walking.
I never seen her get angry. I seen people hit her or say belligerent things to her, she'd just walk off.
--Tevorra Simmons, a friend
Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum lived in Gateway Apartments, also known as Gateway Homeless Services, a 107-unit "permanent supportive housing project" for formerly chronically homeless people. The apartment complex is near Los Angeles' Skid Row.
Yesterday Quartney was walking her two dogs on San Pedro Street at about 1:15pm when a gunman approached her and then shot her in the head. Quartney was 32.
It is mind-boggling; it happened out in the open. I’m heartbroken. Our residents are traumatized, our staff is traumatized. Everybody loved her. She was very popular.
--Anita Nelson, CEO of SRO Housing Corp., which operates Gateway
A security guard apprehended the gunman and held him until police arrived. A gun was recovered at the scene.
The alleged gunman approached her and opened fire.
--LAPD Officer Tony Im
Im alluded to a motive: the two were possible embroiled in a domestic dispute. Police say the suspect will be identified after he is processed by police. The victim, who was declared deceased at the scene of the shooting, was identified as a transgender woman.
Apparently there were dozens of witnesses to the shooting. It is reported that an angry mob chased the perp.
Everybody started screaming, 'Get him! Get him!'. The whole block chased after that man.
--Nakia Criddell
The fact that this person thought in the middle of the day in a highly populated area it was OK to do and he could walk away, the people weren't having it.
--LAPD Office Meghan Aquilar
Quartney was described as being disabled and having trouble with walking.
I never seen her get angry. I seen people hit her or say belligerent things to her, she'd just walk off.
--Tevorra Simmons, a friend
It's my belief that the following fits here (pointed out to me by jakedog42:
This is from episode 7 of Louis C. K.'s Harold and Pete. This is Harold and Rhonda talking on the morning after. What we experience here is often called "The Talk." It's a part of the life of a heterosexual trans women. It's a part than can lead to someone, like Quartney's purported boyfriend, to go get a gun and come back, track her down and shoot her in the head in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses...I guess to prove that he's not gay!
I don’t know what to do anymore. I keep on writing the same thing every time this happens. I keep on saying that this mostly happens to Black and Latina trans women. I keep on saying that it mostly happens to trans women who sleep with men. I keep on saying that it’s on those men to stop this epidemic of violence. I keep on saying that we need to listen to and protect trans women of color and sex workers. I keep on saying that if society will just agree to finally see and treat trans women as women, than many of these murders will stop. Because the men who sleep with trans women are often afraid of being caught, or angry they were “tricked” or ashamed of what they’ve done, or afraid sleeping with a trans woman makes them gay, they lash out and beat, abuse and kill the women they say they love. I, and many others, keep on talking about all these same things and asking all the same questions, but still, the murders keep on happening. I don’t know what new questions to ask. I don’t know what new solutions to look for.
--Mey, Autostraddle