Police in Birmingham, Alabama have charged a 23-year-old man with the September 23 murder of Jazz Alford, a 30-year-old African-American transgender woman.

Alford's body was found at the Kings Inn motel on September 23. She had been shot multiple times.

Alford is the 22nd transgender American to be murdered this year, surpassing last year's official total of 21. Many of the victims have been African-American.

Denzell Thomas was charged with Alford's murder on Friday.

Alford's sister, Toya Milan, also a transgender woman, said that she was delighted by the news.

“I'm still mourning, of course, but I am so filled with joy right now because this monster is off of the streets and he can't harm anybody else,” she told AL.com.

Thomas was already facing charges resulting from the shooting and robbery of an unidentified transgender woman. In that case, the woman, who is recovering, was shot in the face.

Milan said that her sister was driving from High Point, North Carolina to visit her in Atlanta when her car broke down in Birmingham. She was buried in North Carolina.