Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
In the whirlwind of Bey and Jay’s twins, Father’s Day, and the London mosque attack, media has failed to cover the tragic systemic murdering of women of color.
While news around these three aforementioned instances have flooded our television screens this morning, we hardly heard anything about the two women who were brutally murdered on June 18.
Team CASSIUS is taking this moment to say their names, tell their stories, and send one clear message: HANDS OFF OUR WOMEN.
Nabra Hassanen
Nabra Hassanen was brutally murdered this weekend in Virginia. The teen was in a group of 4-5 other muslim friends who were walking back from IHOP early on Sunday when they came across a motorist. All of the teens ran to theAll Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) mosque, but Hassanen was left behind.
ADAMS notified the authorities immediately and began searching for the girl. The 17 year old’s remains were found in a pond at about 3 p.m. on Sunday. Detectives say the girl was struck with a metal bat. Fairfax County police identified the man charged with her murder as Darwin Martinez Torres, but the case as of right now is not being investigated as a hate crime.
Charleena Lyles
Charleena Lyles called the police to investigate a burglary in her Seattle home. Two white police officers were sent to scope out the robbery at the apartment building of the pregnant Black mother. While typically only one officer would respond to a call such as this one, a report by The Washington Post says police were familiar with Lyles and her apartment.
Jail records show that Lyles had just been released following her arrest on June 5 for threatening police officers with large kitchen scissors inside her apartment. The woman told the police they were “devils and members of the KKK,” but an officer was able to convince her to drop the scissors before arresting her.
Monika Williams, Lyles’ sister, explained that the 30 year old had a mental health challenge. Nonetheless, the call on June 18 was flagged as “hazard information” affiliated with her apartment that “presented an increased risk to officers.” Upon arriving to her building, the policemen opened fire on Lyles, who confronted the police officers holding a knife. Both officers will be placed on paid administrative leave as the department investigates the shooting.
