Authorities in Florida said a 25-year-old man allegedly pistol-whipped his transgender ex-girlfriend and fatally shot the victim in the presence of her grandmother, the New York Post reported.
The suspect, identified as Anthony Quinn Peyton, was arrested on Monday in connection with the shooting death of London Price. The fatal October 23 incident is said to have occurred outside an apartment in Miami-Dade County, Local 10 News reported.
Price’s family identified Peyton as the shooter before police named him as the suspect. Surveillance footage also showed a man appearing to be Peyton fleeing the crime scene in the wake of the shooting. The suspect was in possession of a gun at the time.
In an interview with the news outlet, Price’s mother, Danielle Price Lindsey, said that Peyton was having issues with his parents so her daughter “gave this person a place to live so the person could have a home.”
Neighbors also reported that they heard a fight between the victim and Peyton some three weeks ago. Authorities had also arrested Peyton in connection with violent-related incidents on two occasions last year. The charges brought against him were, however, dropped.
Price’s aunt, Nedra Allen, described the victim as a kind individual who did not hesitate to help others, the New York Post reported. Allen also suggested that her niece, though no longer romantically involved with Peyton before her killing, was lending a helping hand to her ex-boyfriend when she accommodated him at her home.
“She’ll give you the shirt off her back, and I think that’s kind of what put her in this situation to get her hurt,” Allen said.
The Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign in a statement also condemned Price’s killing. “London had so many friends and family members who loved her but are now filled with grief following her tragic killing,” the organization’s director of community engagement, Tori Cooper, said.
“We must stop the epidemic of violence targeting transgender and non-binary people and the national crisis of gun violence. This crisis is especially treacherous for Black and Brown transgender women.”
Peyton has since been charged with second-degree murder.
