Tributes have been paid to Black trans woman Sophie Lee after she was fatally shot in Baltimore, Maryland, with police continuing to investigate her death and no arrests made so far.
Lee was found by officers in the early hours of 11 September after Baltimore Police responded to reports of a shooting in the city's Barclay neighbourhood. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to local reports, detectives believe Lee may have been shot in a nearby alley before making her way into the street. Her purse was later recovered two blocks away, although investigators have not said whether robbery is being considered as a possible motive.
Police have yet to identify a suspect and are appealing for information from members of the public.
Lee, who was born and raised in Baltimore, was publicly identified by Baltimore Safe Haven, a Black and trans-led organisation that provides housing, healthcare and support services to LGBTQ+ people. The charity, which said Lee had previously accessed its services, held a vigil in her memory on 13 September.
In a statement following the vigil, Baltimore Safe Haven founder and executive director Iya Dammons paid tribute to Lee's life. "Sophie was more than what happened to her. She was a person. She was loved. She mattered. She deserved the opportunity to live, grow, laugh, love, and simply exist safely as herself," Dammons said.
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The organisation has also launched a fundraising campaign to help Lee's family cover funeral costs. The appeal has already exceeded its original target.
Friends and community members have remembered Lee as an active participant in Baltimore's ballroom scene, where she was connected to several prominent houses, including the Royal Houses of Gabbanna, Voltaire, Pink Lady and Balenciaga.
A graduate of the Baltimore School of the Arts, Lee described herself on social media as a Black trans woman and a lesbian. Her posts celebrated ballroom culture, Black Pride events, music and dance, while also advocating for the inclusion of trans women within lesbian communities.
Her death has prompted renewed concern among LGBTQ+ campaigners about violence affecting trans people, particularly Black trans women, who continue to face disproportionately high levels of discrimination and violence.
According to US LGBTQ+ media monitoring, Lee is among a growing number of trans people whose deaths have been reported in 2026. Campaigners say the figures underline the ongoing challenges facing trans communities across the United States.
Lee was killed around 10 weeks after the death of another Black trans woman, Asia Williams, who was also living in Baltimore.
Baltimore Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as investigations continue.
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