Authorities Seek Suspect In the Murder of Kier Lapri Kartier, the 38th Transgender Person Killed in 2021

GayNrd Editors October 5, 2021

A 21-year-old Black transgender woman named Keir Lapir Kartier was shot to death and found in her car in Arlington, Texas, on the night of September 30, 2021. Family and friends have described Keir as a “very strong, independent person” who was “very loved and loved a lot of people” and who would always have someone’s back “through thick and thin.”

According to The Daily Beast: Kartier was found unresponsive in a car with a gunshot wound and transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities have not named a suspect in the killing. One of Solomon’s close friends, who goes by Madii Reloaded, shared a remembrance on the Facebook page of the Nu Trans Movement, a transgender rights activist organization: “She was transitioning and very well almost done. I remember her trips to Houston and her nervousness with it all. God this hurts. So very bad. She would have anxiety before every appointment and would constantly ruin her nails by tapping them or biting them. I remember the good times when she was so excited to get good news on her levels or when she was able to finally pull a shirt over after her last procedure.”

“I am absolutely devastated to hear the news of yet another trans sister lost,” said Deputy Executive Director Victoria Kirby York of The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). “Keir was so young, as were many of the other trans brothers and sisters we have lost this year. We have lost so many people, yet we have seen little action taken to stop this epidemic of violence. As I have said before and will continue to say until it happens, legislation at all levels of government must be introduced and passed that will deter this violence and protect the trans community. Community members must make it clear to lawmakers that their constituents support clear anti-discrimination protections for the trans community. Law enforcement must hold those who murder trans people accountable and make getting answers for the victim’s loved ones a priority. Those in the media need to treat victims with the respect we all deserve when reporting on their deaths, which means using a person’s chosen name and not misgendering them. Together, we can make the spaces trans community members occupy safer.”

Kier Lapir Kartier is one of 38 transgender, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming person known to be killed in 2021. Most of those lost in 2021 have been Black trans women, and Kartier is the 5th transgender person to be killed in Texas this year.

The Arlington Police Department is currently looking for any relevant surveillance video and witnesses. The police ask anyone with information on the death of Kier Lapri Kartier to contact Detective Spencer at 817-459-6466, referencing report 2021-02730723, or call Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at 817-469-8477.

Learn more about reducing gender-based violence here and here.

To learn more about changing local laws and increasing protections for trans and non-binary community members, look here.

The NBJC Stolen Lives list of trans and non-binary individuals lost to violence and hate can be found here.

Below is The PghLesbian Correspondent‘s list of transgender, gender, and non-binary neighbors lost to violence in 2021. Please do not copy or share this list without attribution.