A juvenile suspect has been charged with murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Cameron Jamal Miikquise Thompson, who was discovered dead Monday in Tuscaloosa.
Despite the fact that the teen suspect is being charged as an adult, authorities have not released his name.
Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said Wednesday that the motive appears to be related to comments Thompson made on social media about the suspect’s sexual orientation.
Thompson was a transgender woman, and her family believes her shooting death was a hate crime.
Thompson graduated from Job Corps earlier this year and has been working for UPS for about a month. She lived with her mother and 16-year-old brother.
“She was a very sweet and nice person who never met a stranger,” said her aunt, Tara Matthews. “She loved hair and nails.”
Thompson left her family’s home around 1 a.m. Monday, taking only her cell phone with her, according to family members.
The mother, who works overnight, noticed Thompson’s purse and other personal items were still in her bedroom around noon on Monday.
“That wasn’t like her to leave her belongings,” Matthews explained.
Family members tried calling Thompson’s phone several times, but it went directly to voicemail.
“That was unusual, so we kept trying to call and see what was going on,” Matthews explained.
The family called police around 4 p.m. Monday to file a missing persons report, and they were informed that a body had been discovered a few hours earlier.
“Once my sister identified the body, they came over and identified the person killed as my niece,” Matthews explained.
Thompson was found around 1 p.m. in the 600 block of East 35th Avenue.
Kennedy claimed Thompson had been shot multiple times. He said the shooting occurred in the early morning hours.
Matthews said Thompson’s death has left the family heartbroken.
“She was very quiet, very to herself, and always very private,” Matthews said, adding that Thompson was well-liked by those she knew.
“It’s very hard for her mother,” Matthews explained. “She’s grieving and we’re just trying to be supportive.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Thompson’s funeral.
