NBJC Mourns the Stolen Life of Shy’Parius Dupree
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
MEMPHIS– The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) mourns the death of Shy’Parius Dupree, a 32-year-old Black transgender man. Dupree was fatally shot on May 18, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Shy’Parius was a loving husband and father who recently celebrated his third wedding anniversary and his daughter’s 12th birthday. He worked as a shift manager and an entrepreneur. Shy’Parius was a devoted community member, working as a youth counselor with Youth Villages and sharing information about children in need. He loved cooking and could make anyone laugh.
“My heart goes out to the family of Shy’Parius, to his wife and children who now have to face a world without him in it,” said Victoria Kirby York, Director of Public Policy and Programs. “Shy’Parius is a reminder that the trans people we lose are not just statistics, they are real people with complex lives, full of loved ones who relied on them and who miss them every day. The impact they made on their community will be remembered long after their cases are solved. We cannot lose sight of what is at the heart of this issue. Trans people are not just numbers in news articles and studies. They are people. We must work to ensure they are not only able to survive but thrive in this country.”
“Shy’Parius is the eighth trans person whose death has been reported in 2025. He is the second trans man, the second Black trans man, the seventh Black trans person, and the eighth transgender person of color on our list. Every transgender person murdered in a hate crime so far this year has been a transgender person of color, and almost all have been Black. Black transgender men have been increasingly targeted in hate and bias-fueled hate crimes while simultaneously being erased from policy and cultural conversations focused on the transgender community. If you purport to care about Black people, you should care about ALL Black people. The only way to end the epidemic of violence facing our community is to release the stigma and hold people accountable,” continued Kirby York.
If you have information about this crime, submit an anonymous tip to Memphis CrimeStoppers HERE. Shy’Parious deserves justice and his family peace and accountability. Help us ensure they receive it.
Remember the lives of all of the Black trans siblings we have lost this year with action by viewing NBJC’s resources for the transgender and gender-expansive/non-conforming community HERE.
Learn more about reducing gender-based violence here and here.
Look here to learn more about changing local laws and increasing protections for trans and non-binary community members.