Rasheeda Williams, a Black trans woman better known as “Koko Da Doll” who was a major part of the hit documentary “Kokomo City,” was shot and killed in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
She was 35.
Her death was confirmed by friends as well as the Sundance Film Festival’s Twitter page.
“We are saddened to hear about the death of Rasheeda Williams aka Koko Da Doll,” the statement read. “We were honored to have her at the Festival this year with KOKOMO CITY, where she reminded Black trans women, ‘we can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.’ It is a tragic loss.”
Atlanta Police said they are investigating a deadly shooting after a person was found near a shopping plaza in southwest Atlanta, according to Gaye Magazine. However, police in Atlanta have not confirmed Williams was the shooting victim, but friends of her’s did, according to Them.
Representatives for the Atlanta Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
On Twitter, Atlanta Police said in a release, “APD is actively investigating three violent crimes involving transgender women this year. While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America.”
Williams was most known by her name Koko Da Doll and played a pivotal role in the award-winning documentary “Kokomo City,” which highlighted the struggle of Koko and other Black trans women in Atlanta and New York.
This is a developing story
