Two transgender women killed in shootings at individual Charlotte hotels

Dontarius Long, 21, and Joel Brewer, 33, were charged with the deaths of Jaida Peterson, 29, and Remy Fennell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief Johnny Jennings, said at a news conference Friday.

Peterson, 29, was found dead by police in a hotel room in West Charlotte on Easter Sunday. On Thursday morning, Fennell was found dead in a hotel room in another part of town, Lieutenant Brian Crum said. Both women were sex workers, police said.

Crum said each suspect has been charged with two murders, twice a firearm per criminal, once a robbery with a dangerous weapon, and once a conspiracy to commit a robbery with a dangerous weapon.

CNN has not been able to determine whether Long or Brewer has legal representation.

Long and Brewer committed both crimes together, Crum said. Police said they do not believe anyone else is responsible for the deaths of the two women, adding that they were still investigating the motive behind the murders.

Crum said authorities did not believe there was any further danger to the public. The similarities between the two murders had initially prompted them to urge the city’s LGBTQ community, particularly those engaged in sex work, to be extra careful and vigilant.

Rob Tufano, public safety communications director for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, speaks at a press conference with reporters on Thursday about the recent murders of two transgender women in the city.

“They should know that there is arguably never a more vulnerable moment for them than tonight,” police spokesman Rob Tufano said on Thursday. “If they see anything suspicious, if they hear anything suspicious, they should immediately call the emergency center. This is a very critical time right now.”

Charlotte Pride, a local LGBTQ advocacy group, said it was working with others in the community to respond to the situation.

“CMPD announced this afternoon that two individuals they believe are responsible for the April 4 and 15 murders have been arrested,” the group wrote in a Facebook post. “However, we know that our trans community – and black trans women in particular – still face hostile and dangerous situations.”
A funeral was held for Peterson this week, WSOC, a CNN affiliate, reported.

“ As I told her before I put her in the ground, I don’t care if I’m breathing every time, ” her mother Mary Peterson said, according to the station. “I said, ‘I get justice.'”

According to the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, at least 14 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been violently murdered so far by 2021.

CNN has contacted the police and the prosecutor for more information about the attorney, the appearance of the court, as well as copies of the criminal complaints and police reports.

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