Monday, December 16, 2013
CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland police official says police believe the recent slayings of two transgender women were motivated by hate.
The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports that deputy chief Ed Tomba spoke at a forum Sunday called by advocates of Cleveland’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. He says federal authorities would have to decide whether to try the cases under hate-crime law, but police are calling them “crimes of hate.”
Police have no suspects and don’t believe the same person is responsible for the two slayings earlier this month.
A disabled, transgender woman was found slain at an assistant living care facility. Another transgender woman was shot in the head in a vehicle.
The activists stressed the need for more education about transgender women and men.