On Monday night, friends gathered to honor the life of Kathryn Newhouse, a 19-year-old trans woman who police say was killed by her father.
The vigil was held at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Friends brought flowers and candles, sharing memories they had of Kathryn.
“She was like a little sister to me. She was a real sweetheart,” Journey Jennings said, according to WBS-TV 2.
Jennings added that they could not imagine something like this happening to Newhouse.
Police responded to a call on March 19 around 5:45 p.m. about a person shot in the Bridgeville area, CBS 46 reports. When they arrived, they found two people dead inside the home. They were later identified as Howard and Kathryn Newhouse.
Police believe that Howard, Kathryn’s father, shot his daughter before shooting himself. They have not yet determined the circumstances surrounding Kathryn’s death.
Research from the Human Rights Campaign found that last year marked the deadliest year for transgender and gender non-conforming people, WBS-TV 2 reports. Kathryn’s friends hope her story is not forgotten.
“I don’t want stories like Kathryn’s swept under the rug. I want change and action to come from this. I think it’s important,” Jennings told WBS-TV 2.
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