Photo: Getty Images
"Somebody is hunting Black women," TikToker @LamaraIndigo says in a now-viral clip exposing the shooting deaths of multiple Black women in St. Louis.
"Black women in St. Louis are being intentionally shot and killed," the TikToker says, adding that the culprits are "not assaulting them, not robbing them."
According to local reports, at least 10 women have been shot in St. Louis in the last week. Of the the victims, seven of them are Black, at least three of whom died from their wounds. One Hispanic woman was shot, and one white woman was shot and killed.
Residents are demanding answers from authorities about the shootings, if they are connected and if the suspect or suspects are serial killers.
LamaraIndigo says no one is talking about the shootings due in part because of residents being "desensitized to all the violence."
"However, this is different," the TikToker added, "because Black women are being hunted like game." The video goes on to recount the three back-to-back shootings of three Black women.
Police said Tuesday (September 21) they've gathered enough evidence to link three of the shootings to one perpetrator.
One of the victims was 16-year-old Marnay Haynes who had been reported missing as a runaway but was not reported to be endangered. Police found her body on September 13 just after 9:30 p.m.
On September 16, police found the body of 49-year-old Pamela Abercrombie around 11:45 p.m. Three days later, on September 19, police found the body of 24-year-old Casey Ross in a vacant parking lot.
"This is not normal," the LamaraIndigo adds, continuing later, "Something is wrong. Black women in St. Louis need help."
At a press conference on Tuesday morning (September 21), St. Louis Police Major Shawn Dace said the department asked for assistance from the FBI and ATF but would not give details on how the killings are related.
One local outlet asked the St. Louis Police Department if the other killings and shootings are being investigated as serial killings, to which the department said no, at least for now, because the suspects are unknown.
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
For more mental health resources, click HERE.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.