Jayla McGee, a Black Trans Teen Was Killed in Florida. Did the Local Media & Police Fail Her?

Nearly a month ago, Black transgender teen Jayla McGee was killed.

Since then, her death has drawn criticism over the limited media attention it received and local authorities’ handling of the case.

According to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shooting on Southwest Avenue B around 5:28 p.m. on July 5, 2026, in Belle Glade, a community in Palm Beach County, where they found 19-year-old Jayla McGee dead from gunshot wounds.

When pressed by The Advocate about McGee’s death, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office misgendered McGee, writing, “Upon arrival, deputies located an adult male deceased from gunshot wound(s).”

In addition to deadnaming McGee, authorities took 25 days before officially acknowledging to the public that her death was a homicide. “At this time, no motive has been determined, and no suspect information has been released,” they said.

While major Palm Beach County news outlets gave little to no attention to McGee’s death initially, her family, friends, and several online publications kept her memory alive, demanded answers about the case, and criticized the lack of media coverage.

McGee’s relatives first announced her death on social media on July 5, with some posts promoting a candlelight vigil that was eventually held July 18. Later, a photo shared on Instagram shows her loved ones donning pink and white in her honor.

In a statement to CBS12 News, McGee’s family remembered her as a loving, beautiful soul with a heart of gold. “She brought love, laughter, and light to everyone around her. Jayla deeply loved her siblings, nieces, and nephews, and cherished every moment she spent with her family. She was truly the life of the party, always bringing smiles, joy, and unforgettable memories wherever she went.”

Despite being a major news market, South Florida saw limited coverage of McGee’s death. As of this writing, CBS12 News was the only major outlet to report on her passing, and that coverage came weeks later.

The lack of police attention and media coverage surrounding McGee’s death perfectly highlights the systemic challenges Black transgender women face in society.

It is no secret that Black transgender women navigate the world at the intersection of transphobia and racism, where their gender identity and race create significant barriers to safety, visibility, access to resources, and so much more.

While local media may have failed in giving the story proper platforming, the Trans United Fund published a lengthy piece highlighting the efforts McGee’s family and community initiated to bring visibility to her death. “Without their testimony, a young Black trans person could die violently and then disappear from public understanding because official documentation failed to connect the death to the person her community knew,” the article wrote.

The Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents also reported on McGee’s death; since 2012, the website has been documenting the violent deaths of BIPOC transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming people.

According to writer Sue Kerr, Jayla McGee was the 24th person whose death the website memorialized in 2026. At 19 years old, McGee and Juniper Blessing were among the youngest people on the website’s list.

McGee was also identified as the 15th transgender person of color and the 12th Black transgender woman included in the site’s record. While there is no direct evidence that McGee’s story was intentionally suppressed by local media, the delayed response from both law enforcement and news outlets is unacceptable.

Earlier, more coordinated public attention may have helped generate tips or leads and could have aided the investigation. Although there is no way to know whether greater coverage would have changed the outcome, we do know timely reporting and competent law enforcement play an important role in helping bring victims and their loved ones justice.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect and motive remain unknown. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-TIPS (8477).