Shannon Boswell, a Black transgender woman who was days away from her 31st birthday, was found dead on the night of July 2, 2024, on North Hairston Road near Trace Terrace in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Initial 911 reports described a hit-and-run and DeKalb County officers arrived to find her body in the street; the scene was first treated as a fatal traffic accident. Friends and her boyfriend told Shannon’s mother, Tammy Boswell, that Shannon had been shot, and Tammy repeatedly urged police to investigate that account.

An autopsy by the DeKalb County medical examiner confirmed a gunshot wound, changing the inquiry to a homicide. A nearby resident later said they heard a gunshot followed moments later by a noise consistent with a car crash. Family members describe Shannon as a very sweet person and the light of the party; they have criticized early misgendering in some reports and express frustration at what they see as slow progress and limited communication from detectives.

If anyone knew Shannon or has information about what happened that night, please share what you know with investigators.