Hate crime: Island Nettles was beaten into a coma by a Facebook friend who only moments earlier realized she was born a man A transgender woman in New York has died after being beaten by a group of men who attacked her and yelled gay slurs. The victim, 21-year-old Islan Nettles, died Thursday in a Harlem hospital after being taken off life support five days following the attack. Nettles was pronounced brain after being beaten on the street by one of her Facebook friends, 20-year-old Paris Wilson. According to Nettles' family, the young woman had two Facebook profiles - one using her birth name Vaughn Nettles and another 'female' profile.
@highlight
Islan Nettles, 21, died last Thursday following an alleged hate crime in Harlem
@highlight
Nettles was out last weekend when she ran into Facebook friend Paris Wilson, 20, and he started flirting with her
@highlight
When his friends informed him that Nettles was born a man, he got angry and started beating her up
@highlight
Nettles slipped into a coma during the attack and was pronounced brain dead Thursday when she was taken off life support and died
@highlight
Wilson will likely face murder charges now that the victim's death has been ruled a homicide
Islan Nettles
Nettles
Nettles
Islan Nettles
Nettles
Nettles
Nettles
@placeholder' friends informed cops, but Nettles was already unconscious by the time they arrived and broke up the fight.
New York
'An attack against one person, or one community, is an assault against all @placeholder,' she said in a joint statement with other council members.
New York
'We ask all @placeholder to come together, to embrace our differences and to denounce hate violence.'