Memphis, TN- A transgender woman shot in the face is in critical condition.
Police say the shooting happened sometime around 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 23, 2008 in the 3100 block of Boxtown Road in south Memphis near T.O. Fuller State Park. Leeneshia Edwards was last seen about an hour earlier at the “C.K.’s Coffee Shop” on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis.
Edwards, is now in critical condition at “The Med”. Her cousin tells us Edwards was shot in the jaw, side and back and is undergoing multiple surgeries.
"The detective said it looked like she was turning to get out of the car and the dude shot her at close range. I just hope when she wakes up she can remember who it was," says Nicole Holliwell.
Friends and of Leeneshia Edwards says she worked as a prostitute. Holliwell believes both her cousin were the victim of a hate crime and wants the shooter caught.
A little more than a month ago, we told you about the shooting death of Duana Johnson, another transgender woman. Johnson first made headlines when she was beaten by Memphis cops earlier this year. Those officers lost their jobs.
Investigators have not yet been able to interview the shooting victim. Police say there were no eyewitnesses to the shooting when they arrived, and they don't have a description of the shooter or the shooter's car. As far as Duana Johnson’s case, detectives say they have no solid leads. If you have any information about either of these cases, call Memphis Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.