Brandi Bledsoe, 23, is at least the 23rd transgender person to be murdered this year. Her body was found in a driveway in Cleveland by a five-year-old riding his bike with his older brother.

According to the Advocate, Bledsoe’s death was the result of a gunshot wound to the chest. She was found with plastic bags over her head and both hands. 

Unforunately, news Bledsoe’s death was slow to come out after she was initially misgendered by authorities. Members of her family later came out to let them and the public know that she revealed her trans status to them in recent years and has been much happier since doing so.

“She wasn’t very outgoing before she told us,” her cousin John Craggett told The Plain Dealer.“She just wasn’t happy with who she was. When she told us, she was honestly a lot better as Brandi. She was happy.”

“She was really beautiful,” he added. “She was really sweet and nice. That’s what bugs the crap out of me about this. Whoever did this can rot in hell.”

Bledsoe has repeatedly moved to Cleveland in recent years after growing up in Nebraska. She lived with her grandfather for a time before getting a place of her own.

As far as records can show, Bledsoe’s death extends 2016 trend of being the deadliest year for trans people in U.S. history. However, it should be noted that these numbers aren’t accurate given the amount of transgender deaths that aren’t reported or victims who are misgendered.

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