Milwaukee man who fatally shot Black transgender woman sentenced to 50 years behind bars

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- This October will mark two years since 30-year-old Chyna Long, a Black transgender woman, was shot and killed in Milwaukee while visiting her family.

On Thursday, May 29, 31-year-old Antonio Currin was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his involvement in her death, after a jury found him guilty last month.

Long was found with several fatal gunshot wounds near 89th and Dogwood in 2023. The motive for her death is still unclear. 

“She lived her best life. She lived her truth and that’s what this case is about. One person living their truth and another person not living their truth," said Long's father, Jonathan, who spoke out in court before addressing Currin directly. “I don’t have any like hatred in my heart; I actually pray for you that you can come to grips with who you are as a man while you’re doing this time.”

Currin himself spoke for less than 30 seconds and asked Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Wagner to grant him a second chance.

“I send my condolences out to the family, Your Honor, and I would just ask that you be lenient on me today," Currin said.

But Long's cousins, who attended the sentencing in person, told CBS 58 they felt Currin's speech was "disingenuous."

"He’s going to do whatever he can at this point to get a lesser sentence or get leniency and I didn’t feel like it was heartfelt, I didn’t feel like it was genuine at all," said Azariah Jordan. “Each day feels like the first, it still feels fresh to me, it still feels unreal and it’s unfair.”

Kendall Williamson, who also shared a victim statement in court, said while it felt in part like some justice was served, no sentence could ever heal the void Currin left behind.

“Regardless of how long his sentence is, it can never be enough for us because a life was taken from us," Williamson said. “It’s just unfortunate that Chyna’s life had to be taken in that way because she was not a confrontational person at all.”

While the sentence time was longer than any had expected, Chanae Gibson said the family is still seeking closure.

“Yes, he’s in prison but he still gets to eat every day, wake up every day, his family can talk to him every day, you know what I’m saying? Even though he’s not out in society but he’s still living," Gibson said. “At least we know that he’s not going to be here out on the street to be able to do this to someone else and they have to grieve the way we’re grieving.”

The family added that Long was a caring dance teacher and hairdresser, along with being a beloved sister, daughter, and friend, who will never be forgotten.