Investigation continues as community 'shocked' by transgender woman's death

Police say it's not currently a hate crime investigation

LYNCHBURG, Va.

The investigation continued Wednesday into the shooting death of a Lynchburg transgender woman. Members of the community say they're in shock as they gather again to comfort each other.

People knew the 28-year-old victim as Ebony Morgan, though she hadn’t changed her legal name from Phineas Rufus Neville. Police have confirmed that she was a transgender woman, though they’re saying they’re not investigating her death as a hate crime. They say they will pursue that charge if evidence suggests that motivation.

People in Lynchburg are upset.

“The reaction from the community has been shock,” Andi Miller said. She’s the executive director of the Lynchburg Diversity Center. “That’s pretty much every message we’ve received from a community member at this point: ‘I’m shocked that this happened.’”

She says support from the community has continued to pour in for family and friends after the news came Sunday, when police said Morgan died in the early morning hours after being shot multiple times at a Rivermont Avenue house.


“We’ve had wonderful, loving responses from community members that knew her.”

The center is trying to help in the healing process. It will host a conversation at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Without TV cameras present, community members will be able to share their reactions with each other, the center and a statewide anti-violence group.

Miller says she hopes participants come away with “the feeling that they’ve been heard, that they’re able to talk about where they’re at and how they’re feeling about the situation.”

The Lynchburg Diversity Center started in 2015. It will host an altar-building ceremony Friday at 7:30 p.m. to honor all transgender victims.

Nationwide, this is the 15th time a transgender person has been killed this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights group.