Vigil marks gay teen’s slaying
By Akilah Johnson and Sofia Santana | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
With an occasional police siren in the distance punctuating their remarks, family, friends and community activists gathered on an empty corner lot Sunday to remember the life of a teen murdered there a year ago and vow: Never again.
“I was hoping that I would have heard something by now, but not yet,” Denise King, mother of Simmie Williams Jr., said before the candlelight vigil began. “I won’t have peace until his killer is caught.”
Sunday marked one year since Williams, 17, gay and transgender, was shot to death at Northwest 10th Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard.
Among the 40 people at the ceremony were college students, elected officials and law enforcement officers from Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? Police cannot say for certain whether Williams’ killer opened fire as part of a robbery attempt or whether the shooting was motivated by hate.
That night, Williams, of west Fort Lauderdale, was walking along Sistrunk Boulevard with a group of friends. He wore his hair in thin braids that hung past his shoulders. As the group approached a chain link fence around a vacant lot at the corner, the attacker shouted some words.
A shot rang out — police cannot say from where exactly — and struck Williams under his arm.
He ran, but the bullet pierced his heart and he collapsed seconds after the shooting, King said.
There have been no arrests in the killing of the teen who made sure his younger siblings did their homework, rubbed his mother’s feet after a long day at work and wowed everyone with his culinary skills.
Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Brice Brittenum said the case is still being investigated actively.
“We have not forgotten about Simmie, and we will not forget about Simmie,” he told the crowd.
Williams was buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Fort Lauderdale. About three miles from there, mourners gathered Sunday to remember the teen’s tragic death.
“Simmie’s killer will have judgment brought upon him even if police cannot identify or apprehend the unknown individual,” said Michael Emanuel Rajner, a co-founder of Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives.
Lambda United, Florida Atlantic University’s Gay/Straight Alliance, organized Sunday’s vigil to draw attention to the fact there have been no major developments in the case.
Sphere: Related Content
Are BioIdentical Hormones Safe?
In my opinion, Bioidentical Hormones are safer and more effective than their synthetic hormone counterparts, ...
KUDOS!! :)) 
I wish i could be there too
.-= Miss sudha´s last blog ..ONLINE SHOP =-. 
