Mariana died on the way to hospital after being shot as she left a residence where she had been meeting friends and family.
A gunshot left Mariana Ballesteros Restrepo, a 19-year-old trans woman, seriously injured as she had just left a house where a meeting between friends and family had been taking place since the previous night.
The attack occurred around 3:00 am this Thursday, in the vicinity of Carrera 66 with Calle 79, an area close to the road that connects the urban area of Bello with the township of San Félix, in Antioquia.
According to authorities, two men traveling on a motorcycle approached the young woman and one of them fired a gun before fleeing the scene.
Witnesses reported that Mariana fell injured in the middle of the street while bystanders tried to help her and desperately called for assistance. Officers from the Valadares Police Station arrived minutes later after receiving an alert from the community.
When the police arrived at the scene, the young woman still had vital signs, so she was rushed to Marco Fidel Suárez Hospital. However, the severity of her injuries prevented her from receiving specialized medical attention. Sources close to the case indicated that Mariana died during the journey to the medical center due to the large amount of blood she lost after the gunshot wound.
Mariana's death sparked outrage among human rights organizations and LGBTIQ+ groups, who called for swift investigations and for the case to be addressed with a gender perspective.
