Muhlaysia Booker (January 14, 1997 – May 18, 2019) was an African-American

transgender woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and som ...

whose filmed assault in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

went viral on social media. She was

murdered Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

a month later.

Attack

On April 12, 2019, Booker and a cousin went to see a fight in Royal Crest Apartments. Upon leaving, Booker backed into a car and tried to flee the scene. The driver got out of his car and held Booker until damages were paid. A crowd gathered around the altercation and Edward Thomas was offered $20 to assault Booker. Bystanders watched, videotaped, and yelled. The video was uploaded to social media and went viral. Booker had a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...

and fractured wrist. The Dallas mayor

Mike Rawlings Michael Scott Rawlings (born August 25, 1954) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 59th Mayor of Dallas, Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, he won the nonpartisan 2011 Dallas mayoral election defeating former Dallas ...

labeled it as "mob violence." On April 14, 2019, Edward Thomas was charged with

aggravated assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

and held without

bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Chemical bond, the attraction of atoms, ions or molecules to form chemical ...

Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...

jail. The police stated that his

ankle monitor The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

placed him at the location. He was eventually bonded at $75,000 at his court hearing and went back to jail on May 20. In October 2019, Thomas was convicted of a lesser charge of misdemeanor assault and sentenced to serve 300 days in jail. After Booker's attack, supporters held a small rally. Booker spoke out about assault against the transgender community. Her cousin, Quanjasmine Baccus, said, "She was picked on because she is transgender."

Murder

At around 6:40 AM on May 18, 2019, police officers responded to reports of a shooting near Tenison Park Golf Course, where Booker was found dead from a gunshot wound. Kendrell Lyles, a 34-year old man, was arrested and charged with Booker's murder, as well as two other killings. Police said that earlier, Booker was seen getting into a light-colored Lincoln, matching the description of Lyles' car. Police discovered phone records between Booker and Lyles, placing him in the area.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booker, Muhlaysia 1997 births 2019 deaths Violence against trans women Transgender women American transgender people African-American LGBT people People murdered in Texas LGBT people from Texas People from Dallas Deaths by firearm in Texas