A 16-year-old transgender girl from Britain was found dead in a park on Saturday, February 11, prompting police to arrest two other teenagers in connection with the stabbing that happened in broad daylight.
Brianna Ghey, 16, a popular TikToker with thousands of followers on the platform, was found on Saturday by passersby suffering multiple stab wounds at a Village Park in Warrington, Cheshire, at 3:00 in the afternoon.
Investigators announced that even though Ghey was a transgender girl, there was no evidence yet linking her death to a hate crime related to her identity. Further investigations into the stabbing incident led detectives to arrest two teenagers, a boy and a girl, who they believed were responsible for her death.
Authorities said that the suspects, who were not publicly identified due to their ages, were from Warrington and were in custody.
Chief Superintendent Detective Mike Evans said they believed the horrific murder was a targeted attack. However, they were still trying to determine the events leading up to the attack and the motive for the murder.
He said during the time they spent investigating the crime, nothing seemed to suggest that the circumstances of Ghey’s death were hate related.
Ghey regularly posted videos of her dancing and lip-syncing on TikTok. Her final post was made just hours before her gruesome death.
The Ghey family released a statement describing her as a beautiful, hilarious, and witty girl with a larger-than-life character. Her family said that she would leave a lasting impression on everyone.
Transgender advocates noted because the British government does not allow transgender people to change their genders on official documents, Ghey’s death certificate will likely read that she was a male.
