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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Mollie Quirk & Scarlett O'Toole

Transgender actress Koko Da Doll dies at 35 after being found with 'gunshot wound'

Transgender actress Rasheeda Williams, who was better known as Koko Da Doll, has died at the age of 35.

The star, who featured in the 2023 Sundance Film Festival documentary Kokomo City, was found with "an apparent gunshot wound" in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday.

Atlanta police say she wasn't "alert, conscious or breathing" and was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.

Her death was confirmed by friends as well as the Sundance Film Festival’s Twitter page.

The Sundance Film Festival took to Twitter and penned: "We are saddened to hear about the death of Rasheeda Williams aka Koko Da Doll.

"We were honoured to have her at the Festival this year with KOKOMO CITY, where she reminded Black trans women, 'we can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.' It is a tragic loss."

Fellow Kokomo City documentary star Daniella Carter also paid tribute to the Sundance star, with her writing: "Never thought I’d lose you, but here I am standing alone without you by my side.

"We’re sisters for life we promised, but now you’re gone I don’t know what to do without you I’m going crazy, I’m trying to hold on to keep strong…"

An Atlanta Police Department spokesperson confirmed today (April 21) that on Tuesday (April 18) at around 10:42pm local time, officers attended 2457 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Deadline reported.

The spokesperson added that upon arrival, "officers located a female victim with an apparent gunshot wound".

They confirmed that she "was not alert, conscious or breathing and pronounced deceased on scene by AFR".

Authorities haven’t named any suspects in the shooting, with them confirming that they are still "working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident".

They went on to add: "The investigation continues."

Rasheeda was best known for starring in Kokomo City, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

The film followed the lives of Koko and three other African-American trans sex workers in Atlanta and New York City.

Aside from her starring in the documentary, Koko was also a rapper. She released her debut track Trick in 2020 and in 2022 she released Bulletproof.

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