Cristela Guerra

cguerra@news-press.com

The death of Yaz'min Shancez brought a sea of people flowing through Centennial Park. Near the Caloosahatchee River under the silhouette of a setting sun, the crowd celebrated and mourned.

To the sound of drum beats, songs, kind words, hugs and with prayers and tears, they said good-bye. And they brought a message: signs that advocated awareness, education and respect. "Live and Let Live. Hate Free Zone. RIP Miss Tee 4 Ever. Love has no gender."

The 31-year-old transgender woman's body was found early Thursday in an alleyway off Fowler Street. She'd been shot and burned. All stood united against the hatred and violence. Sunday night almost 150 people said enough is enough.

Some called her by her legal name: Eddie James Owens. Others knew her as she knew herself: Yaz'min or Ms. Tee. Earth Brown, 71, remembers Ms. Tee as a child, always trying on dresses and high heels.

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"It was mind-blowing," said Jasmine Weaver, 23, of Fort Myers and Yaz'min's cousin. "It's overwhelming. I never knew all this love would come out of nowhere."

Rainbow flags bounced down the street. Pastors marched along with gay couples. Old, young, children, families, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, strangers, friends, black, white, gay, straight. To those that loved her, the diversity of the crowd made sense. She was an incredibly colorful individual. At the end of the march around downtown Fort Myers, the crowd lit candles. The Rev. Charlie Robinson Jr. gave an invocation. The family was surrounded by support and new friends.

"It's a heinous crime," said Mary Delhagen, 54, of Fort Myers. "We have to make sure police get to the bottom of this. Right now there's somebody on the loose. It's important to the community to show that we won't tolerate this in Fort Myers against anybody."

Delhagen lives five blocks from the murder scene. She and Joseph Zyjewski, 37, Fort Myers drove past her Wednesday afternoon and waved at her from the car. Yaz'min was walking down Hanson Street.

"That could've been me. I live in this town. I walk down the street with a purse and make-up on," Zyjewski said. "You wanted to be around her. She didn't have enemies."

"That could've been any of us," a passerby chimed in.

Community events are continuing to help the family pay for funeral expenses.

"You don't know how many people loved you until tragedy strikes," said Jay Aspen, 22. "Everybody knew Tee."