Dallas transgender woman seen in videotaped attack found dead

A 23-year-old transgender woman seen on a widely circulated video being beaten in front of a crowd of people was found dead over the weekend in a Dallas shooting, police said.

Muhlaysia Booker was found face-down in a street early Saturday, and no suspect has been identified, police Maj. Vincent Weddington said Sunday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers were called following reports of shots being fired, Weddington said, and Booker was dead from “homicidal violence.”

Weddington didn’t release any additional details but said there’s no evidence indicating a link between the shooting and the April 12 beating Booker suffered after she was involved in a minor traffic accident . A police affidavit released at the time said Booker accidentally backed into a vehicle before the driver of that vehicle pointed a gun at her and refused to let her leave unless she paid for the damage.

As a crowd gathered, someone offered $200 to a man to beat the woman, who suffered a concussion, fractured wrist and other injuries, police said at the time. Other men also struck Booker, with one stomping on her head. Edward Thomas, 29, was arrested and jailed on a charge of aggravated assault.

A cellphone recording showed her being beaten as the crowd hollered and watched. Video of the incident was shared on social media.

Booker attended a rally the following week where she said she was grateful to have survived the attack.

“This time I can stand before you, where in other scenarios, we’re at a memorial,” The Dallas Morning News reported her as saying.

Weddington said Sunday that the investigation into the April attack continues.

“We’re still attempting to identify other people that were seen assaulting Muhlaysia in the video,” he said.

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