A 19-year-old transgender woman was found stabbed to death inside the laundry room of a University of Washington housing complex Sunday night, and Seattle police are now hunting a suspect who fled the scene before officers arrived.
UW police officers responded to Nordheim Court Apartments, Building 7, on 25th Avenue Northeast at 10:10 p.m. on May 10, 2026. They found the victim bleeding inside the laundry room. Despite immediate efforts by responding officers and Seattle Fire Department medics, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thirty minutes later, the university blasted an emergency alert across campus warning residents to lock down. “If you are at Nordheim Court, stay indoors and lock doors and windows,” the message read. The shelter-in-place order remained active until roughly 1 a.m. Monday, when university officials told residents they could move freely again — though, they cautioned, “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
A Suspect Still at Large
As of 4 a.m. Tuesday, Seattle police were still piecing together the circumstances that led to the killing. Detective Eric Muñoz wrote in a blotter report that officers are actively searching for the suspect, described as a Black man with a beard, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a slim build and black hair. He was last seen wearing a button-up shirt under a dark blue vest and blue jeans, and is believed to be between 25 and 30 years old.
A university emergency alert sent at 11:38 p.m. Sunday urged anyone who spots the man to call 911 immediately. Investigators have asked the public to direct tips to the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, referencing case number 2026-130611. Anonymous tips are accepted.
The victim has not been publicly identified. The King County Medical Examiner will release her name in the coming days, officials said, once her family has been notified. Detective Muñoz told reporters she is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” enrolled at the university.
Questions About Building Security
Nordheim Court sits just off-campus near the upscale U-Village shopping center, but the complex is part of UW’s official campus housing portfolio. It is privately managed by Greystar, a national property firm. That arrangement has left residents asking pointed questions about how a stranger — if the attacker was a stranger — got into a secured laundry room late on a Sunday night.
Nico Zheng, a UW student who lives at the complex, said the breach is what unsettles him most. “That’s also what I’m kind of concerned about, is that somebody may have access to this thing, and the suspect may have been a resident here, or, you know, have gained entry somehow,” Zheng told KIRO 7.
Another resident, Tramon Jones, said he now feels more wary about staying. He told reporters that fatal violence was unheard of at Nordheim, but trespassing was not. “Death, no,” he said. “But people getting in, just being on the property when they’re not supposed to, finding a way in at night, even when we try to kick them out? Yeah. Often.”
University Mourns, Mobilizes Resources
UW spokesperson Victor Balta confirmed the university is coordinating with Greystar to provide on-site support. In a separate statement, UW President Ana Mari Cauce addressed the victim’s identity directly, acknowledging the ripple effect such killings carry through queer and trans communities.
“While investigators have not yet identified a suspect or a motive, I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members,” Cauce said. “Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal.”
The university called the killing “deeply distressing” and pointed students toward several support channels: the UW Counseling Center, the 24/7 Husky HelpLine, SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 or safecampus@uw.edu (available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding UW holidays), and Husky Assist at 206-543-9331.
A Grim National Pattern
The Seattle stabbing marks the seventh known violent killing of a transgender person in the United States in 2026, according to advocacy tracking. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, investigators in Marion County, Florida, opened a homicide case into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who had referenced transitioning on social media. And in Kentucky, the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains unresolved.
Campus police cordoned off Building 7 through the night, and Seattle police are leading the homicide investigation. No suspect has been identified by name, and no motive has been established. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 if the suspect is seen, or to contact the Violent Crimes Tip Line.