Tributes have been flooding in following the death of Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray. According to a report from Them, Shyyell was shot and killed in Petersburg, Virginia, on March 13. The pageant performer and activist was 42 years old.
Initial reports about Shyyell’s death, which misgendered her, state that police officers entered her home through an unsecured door. There, they found Shyell had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. She subsequently died at the scene.
Following news of her death, several members of the LBGTQ+ community have shared tributes to Shyyell. An article published in The Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents honours Shyyell’s legacy of advocacy and reflects on her life in Virginia and North Carolina, where she ran a pageant and catering company. It also recalls her online activism, which included uplifting community events, reporting information about ICE detentions and calling out hate speech and racism.
“Rest in power, Shyyell,” a tribute reads. “Thank you for all that you brought to your community and this world. You showed up repeatedly in many ways, with a generous heart and a desire to create change. You did. I am so very sorry for the violence you experienced. I hope you’ve found comfort and rest. May your memory be a revolution.”
According to The Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, Shyyell was the first confirmed trans woman to die by violence in the US this year. The article did note, however, that other trans women may have been killed, but due to a lack of reporting or possible misgendering, their deaths may not have been accurately reported on.
In addition to her online advocacy, Shyyell was no stranger to the world of drag pageants. As Them reports, she was crowned Miss Mayflower EOY in 2015 and Miss Charlotte FFI-at-Large in 2020. In addition to competing in the Charlotte drag scene, she was also heavily involved in the circuit and worked to promote its events.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Kennedy Davenport paid her respects to Shyyell in a Facebook post in which she wrote: “I will certainly miss you my sister.”
A funeral for Shyyell will take place on March 27 at the Johnson Celebration of Life Center in Petersburg.
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