Brianna Ghey, 16, was bullied for years due to her gender identity, according to reports.
A 16-year-old trans TikToker was found dead in a park in England after police say she was stabbed.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was found by community members in a Warrington, U.K. park on Saturday with fatal stab wounds, police said.
Police announced on Sunday that they arrested two 15-year-old suspects in her attack, one boy and one girl. They are both in custody and are cooperating in the investigation, police said.
Police are extending the custody of the two to an additional 30 hours in order to question them further, authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans does believe the attack was targeted but is still investigating the circumstances around it, according to Daily Mail.
Police initially did not believe the attack was a hate crime but in their most recent update, they said they are not ruling it out.
“All lines of enquiry are being explored, including whether this was a hate crime,” said police.
If police do rule the death as a hate crime, it wouldn’t be the first time the teen is a victim of transphobic hate. Ghey’s friends said that she was bullied for years due to her gender identity, Daily Mail reported.
“We are shocked and truly devastated to hear of the death of Brianna," Emma Mills, head teacher at the school where Ghey attended, said in a statement.
According to Stonewall Was a Riot, several vigils are popping up all over the U.K. in remembrance of Ghey, including one outside the Department of Education (DOE) in London.
The vigil outside the DOE is to not only honor Ghey’s memory but to also hold the DOE responsible for “their abhorrent attacks on trans youth to deliberately create trans-hostile environment,” according to the Trans Action Block.
A GoFundMe has also been created to help the family pay for Ghey’s funeral, which they hope they can make “pink and colorful to match her personality”.
"Brianna was a much loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister. She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind,” said Ghey’s family.
