Shakie Peters
Birth date:
April 4, 1988
Death date:
July 1, 2020
Age at Death:
32
About
Ms. Peters was a Black trans woman, from Denham Springs, LA. She was called a "loyal friend" and "was an inspiration in how she navigated life." Her friend say she was “consistently laughing, consistently joking, the first person to get up and dance.” A performance artist, Ms. Peters was active in community development and organizing in and around the New Orleans area. “Shakie was the person who would come to you and be like, ‘How are you? Are you okay?,’” says Faulk. “She would be a person who would be like, ‘Oh, what do you need me to do?’”
Ms. Peters' body was found fatally shot in a roadside ditch in rural St. Helena Parish. Law enforcement identified Ms. Peters as a male, but family say she has long lived as a woman. Her death was added to the growing list of violence against 40 transgender people in 2020 (Source: data from the National Center for Transgender Equality and https://people.com/crime/skakie-peters-transgender-activist-murdered/).
Was justice served?
No. As of December, 2020, two arrests /indictments were made for second-degree murder; no motive given but the police confirmed the two arrested were in a relationship and did not say how they knew the victim. The arrested were from Denham Springs, and reportedly Ms. Peters was last seen with the two headed to a casino. The two shot Ms. Peters by the side of the road and left her. It is the second death of a transgender person in the Baton Rouge area in July, 2020. Source: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_a1d064fc-e997-11ea-a429-bf88828474d1.html and https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/st_helena/article_3504fe48-f2d7-11ea-85d2-b76714330a37.html