Lamia Beard was 30 when she was found with a fatal gunshot wound on a Norfolk sidewalk in the 700 block of E. 25th St. in the early morning hours of January 17, 2015. She was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital but died of her injuries. The Norfolk Police Department classified her death as a homicide and investigated, noting no leads or suspects in the initial stages.

At the time of her death some media outlets misgendered and deadnamed her, a response condemned by advocacy groups who pointed to the frequent disrespect and violence faced by transgender women of color. A nearby shooting around the same time injured a 24-year-old man, but authorities could not definitively link that incident to Lamia’s killing. There has been no public announcement of arrests or identified suspects.