Brianna Ghey killing being investigated as possible transphobic hate crime

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Police investigating the killing of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed to death in a Warrington park on Saturday, have said they have not ruled out the possibility it was a transphobic hate crime.

Brianna, who was trans, was found with fatal stab wounds in Culcheth Linear Park, on Saturday afternoon.

Police have arrested two 15-year-olds, a boy and a girl from the area, on suspicion of murder. Cheshire constabulary said on Tuesday the stabbing was being treated as a possible hate crime, alongside other lines of inquiry.

It follows comments from the lead investigator, DCS Mike Evans, earlier in the week that, though it was a “targeted attack”, there was “no evidence” Brianna’s gender identity had played a part in her killing.

On Tuesday evening, Brianna’s friends plan to gather at a candle-lit vigil alongside members and allies of the trans community in Liverpool to pay tribute to the girl who family members described as “strong, fearless, one of a kind”.

A simultaneous vigil is also being held in Bristol, followed this week by more than a dozen others in cities and towns across the UK, from Aberdeen to Brighton. One is also being held outside the Department for Education in London on Wednesday evening, organised by Sisters Uncut, a group that campaigns against violence against women.

A GoFundMe crowdfunding page set up to help Brianna’s family passed ?69,000 in donations on Tuesday to help pay for her funeral, which will be “pink and colourful to match her personality”.

Tributes have also poured in on TikTok, where Brianna had thousands of followers, describing her as a “sweet angel” and a “beautiful girl”.

In a statement on Monday, her family said: “Brianna was a much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister. She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind.”

A postmortem is taking place and police have asked anyone who may have been in the park between 1.30pm and 4pm on Saturday to contact them. Evans said: “We would ask people and businesses within the local community to check any CCTV or dashcam footage for anything that may aid our investigation.”