TDoR 2023 / 2022 / December / 17 / Caelee Love-Light


Caelee Love-Light

Age 27 (born 17 May 1995)

17 Dec 2022
Phoenix, Arizona (USA)
Shot

TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2023/17-Dec-2022/Caelee Love-Light

Caelee Love-Light
Caelee Love-Light [photo: www.pghlesbian.com]

Caelee was found dead from gunshot injuries inside a car by police.

A seriously injured man was also found in the vehicle. He later died from his injuries.

Last week, 27-year-old Caelee Love-Light was found dead at the scene of a car incident in Phoenix, Arizona. The Latina transwoman succumbed to gunshot injuries she sustained while involved in some sort of altercation with the male occupant of the car. He was stabbed several times and later died of his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Officers had responded to the area of 23rd Avenue and Baseline Road early Saturday morning at around 3:25 a.m. to an “unknown trouble call”, according to the original statement.

Upon arrival, officers were directed to a car where they found a man with serious injuries as well as an unresponsive woman inside. The woman, now identified as 27-year-old Caelee Lovelight, was pronounced dead at the scene. The man, now identified as 47-year-old Javin Casillias, was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Detectives believe that Lovelight and Casillias were in a physical altercation with each other where Lovelight was shot and Casillias was stabbed, according to a police statement.

Sadly, mainstream media has focused on the “gun and knife battle” element of the story rather than the lives of the people who died. We don’t know what happened in that car, but given what we know generally and what I’ve learned from Caelee’s friends, it is likely that she was defending herself. It is certainly a possibility, but I guess the headline is too seductive when reporting on yet another seeming interpersonal violence incident. We don’t know why they were in the car together, the nature of their association, or who did what. If there is any evidence from inside the car like a dash cam or footage on a cell phone, that’s not been made public. Will there even be an investigation?

According to her friends, Caelee was born on May 17, 1995 in Texas. Her father was of Mexican descent and her mother was white. Caelee identified as Latina. She relocated to Portland where she legally changed her name and gender markers with the financial support of friends who understood how vital that process was to her welfare. It is unclear when she relocated again to Phoenix, Arizona. Her friends do not believe her remaining biological family will acknowledge her identity; her parents are both deceased, they report. So it is unclear what if any final arrangements will be made for Caelee. Will anyone in Phoenix organize a candlelight vigil? Will anyone locally reach out to her friends in Phoenix and learn more about her most recent lived experiences?

Caelee also used the names ‘Baby Goddess’ and ‘Candy Geisha’ on social media. I don’t know why, but I’m sharing that information to help her friends who may not know of her passing find this post. Her social media feeds are filled with affirmations, a celebration of her connection to the Divine, and her unwavering commitment to connecting with other people in a loving, healthy manner.

According to her friends, Caelee was alienated (and afraid of) her birth family. Although her parents are no longer alive her friends were afraid that if her birth family claimed her body, they would deadname and misgender her - or (as happened to, among others, Daine Grey) refuse to claim her body at all.

Caelee loved to read, and enjoyed learning something new every day. She was also a religious and spiritual person who "passionately defended nonbinary and trans folks". Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/EmpressofLight.

https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/12/29/caelee-lovelight-trans-woman-dead-phoenix/

https://www.them.us/story/caelee-lovelight-killed

https://www.pghlesbian.com/2022/12/latina-trans-woman-caelee-love-light-killed-in-phoenix/

https://www.hrc.org/news/remembering-caelee-love-light-latina-transgender-woman-killed-in-phoenix

https://dallasvoice.com/trans-woman-found-killed-in-phoenix-was-possibly-a-texas-native/

https://ktar.com/story/5385539/transgender-woman-left-dead-after-incident-in-stopped-vehicle-in-phoenix/

Report added: 18 Dec 2022. Last updated: 9 Nov 2023

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This site contains reports of violence against transgender people, and links to detailed reports which contain graphic imagery.

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