The Cincinnati Police Department is actively investigating the fatal shooting of a transgender woman in Evanston early Saturday morning.
Police say officers responded to reports of a shooting around 6:50 a.m. on the 1500 block of Jonathan Avenue. Laura Schueler, 47, was found fatally shot on a sidewalk near her home, according to CPD.
CPD has not released any information about a potential suspect and stated that the investigation is ongoing.
Later that day, mourners held a candlelight vigil near the site where Schueler’s body was discovered. Schueler was openly transgender, according to the Transgender Advocacy Council, a grassroots transgender support organization in Greater Cincinnati. Since Schueler’s death, the community has rallied to support her friends and family.
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Evanston expressed their support on Facebook, writing, “There is a place for Laura’s funeral if needed, or for any other need family or friends may have.”
The Transgender Advocacy Council stated that Schueler is the third known Black trans woman to be shot and killed in Cincinnati in recent years.
“Laura is the third Black trans woman killed in the greater Cincinnati area in the last five years, joining Diamond Kyree Sanders who was shot to death on March 3, 2021 and Riah Milton who was shot to death on June 9, 2020,” the group announced on its Facebook page.
Everytown, a national gun violence prevention organization, conducted a 2024 report on 288 homicides involving transgender people in the United States and Puerto Rico between 2017 and 2022. They discovered that 65% of transgender gun homicide victims were Black trans women.
Tawanda Seldon has been Schueler’s friend for thirteen years. She told CityBeat that she had recently seen her “sweet” friend in the days preceding the shooting.
“I’m hurt and want my friend to come back,” she told CityBeat. “I don’t understand why the world and some people hate…”It doesn’t matter if they’re straight or gay; God says don’t judge, but they are.
CPD has not stated whether they are investigating the possibility that Schueler’s death was related to her transgender identity.
According to the CPD’s Facebook page, this shooting coincides with the start of both Pride Month and Gun Safety Week, an initiative that teaches community firearm safety and responsible ownership.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the incident should contact CPD at 513-765-1212 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040. Callers have the option to remain anonymous.
