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Friends remember transgender woman shot, killed in Minneapolis
“Nobody deserves to die this way,” said Celeste Grignon-Juarez, a friend of Williams.
MINNEAPOLIS — Savannah Ryan Williams’ friends say she grew during Tea Time, a support group for transgender women, at The Aliveness Project.
There, she would join others to talk about issues, fears and joy.
On Wednesday, the group gathered for another reason. They talked about Savannah Ryan Williams’ alleged murder and hate toward their community.
“She was full of life,” said Luna Hernandez, who met her at the group. “It’s very unfortunate that her life got taken away.”
Court documents say 25-year-old Damarean Kaylon Bible admitted to shooting Williams in the head. He told police she approached him for a sexual encounter but he began to feel “suspicious.” After the act, he shot and killed her, according to paperwork. Bible confessed after police found surveillance video of him at the scene near the Lake Street light rail station.
Paperwork says while in jail, Bible told his dad he “just murdered someone.” It reads that he felt sorry for killing the victim and knew he wasn’t God, but he “had to do it.”
“It’s a hate crime,” said Amber Muhm, who finds a feeling of safety at Tea Time.
“We have a right to life,” said State Representative Leigh Finke. “Savannah had a right to live; she should be alive. There is no other detail that matters. Being murdered and being murdered in the way that this happened is gruesome.”
Finke used to go to Tea Time. She shares feelings of anxiety with the women here.
“It just needs to stop,” said Muhm. “We have to be able to walk in public and just be constantly looking over our shoulder and constantly worried about what’s going to happen.”
“We are people at the end of the day and we are humans just like everybody else,” said Celeste Grignon-Juarez, who got to know Williams over the past few months. “Losing her so tragically after her making so many great improvements in life was really sad. Nobody deserves to die this way. But it’s not an uncommon way for trans women to die this way.”
“The loss of yet another member of our trans community is a source of deep pain for all of us,” read a statement from The Aliveness Project. “Acts of discrimination, bigotry, and hatred have no place in our community.”
Bible’s bail is set at $1 million. The Aliveness Project says folks in the community can go to Tea Time if they have feelings of uncertainty.
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Police are investigating after three men were shot early on Saturday morning.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police are investigating after three men were shot in the Ventura Village neighborhood early Saturday morning.
According to Minneapolis police, officers were called to the area around East 21st Street and South 15th Avenue around 5 a.m. Saturday.
Officers found three men had been shot. One of the men died and the two others were taken to the hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries.
Officials said the shooting happened at a small homeless encampment.
Police have not announced any arrests as of Saturday morning.
KARE 11 will update this story as more information is made available.
This Halloween the chocolate shop is getting very festive.
MARINE ON SAINT CROIX, Minn. — A small sweet shop in a Minnesota river town has won some BIG awards for its chocolates.
St. Croix Chocolate Company in Marine on St. Croix has won national and international awards including Best of Show in this year’s America’s Division of the International Chocolate Awards.
Their chocolates are available at the St. Croix Chocolate Company kitchen or online.
This Halloween they are selling a Halloween Countdown Calendar that features 14 prize-winning recipes made into ghosts, bats, skulls and other spooky configurations. They also have a Boo Bag-handled tote that comes with their “best of” Halloween assortment.
Owner and Chocolatier, Robyn Dochterman, joined KARE 11 Saturday to share what St. Croix Chocolate Company has to offer.
MINNEAPOLIS — Making pasta at home is relatively simple, as long as you have the right tools.
October is National Pasta Month and Red Rabbit‘s Corporate Chef, Adam Lerner, joined KARE 11 Saturday to show us how to make homemade noodles in the confines of your own kitchen.
