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Man killed Black transgender woman over alleged Snapchat video, affidavit says

Authorities say Angelo Walker fatally shot 22-year-old Merci "Pooda" Mack last month.
Credit: Dallas Police Department
Angelo Walker, 20

Updated at 4:56 p.m. with additional details from arrest warrant affidavit. 

Dallas police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of a Black transgender woman, officials say. 

Authorities say Angelo Walker killed 22-year-old Merci 'Pooda' Mack last month over a video of the two that was going to be posted to social media. 

Walker was arrested Wednesday by the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. He faces a murder charge and remains in jail in lieu of a $900,000 bail, according to court records.

On June 30, Mack was found with multiple gunshot wounds in an apartment parking lot in east Oak Cliff.

Detectives say during their investigation they were contacted by a witness who has known Walker for more than a year and a half.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, during the night of the shooting the witness saw Walker sitting outside the apartments wearing all black and a ski mask rolled up around his head.

The witness told police that Walker always wears a ski mask rolled up around his head and pulls the mask down to cover his face when he gets near people, documents state.

The witness says around 5 a.m., he was inside his apartment when he heard gunshots outside. When the witness looked out the window he saw Walker chasing Mack through the parking lot firing a handgun at her, according to the affidavit. 

The witness says at one point he saw Walker standing over Mack firing multiple shots at her as she was on the ground.

According to the affidavit, the witness says Walker and the victim had gotten into an altercation over a video of the two that Mack was going to post.

Detectives say the day before, Mack had shared on Facebook that she was going to post an intimate video of her and Walker onto her Snapchat.

Mack died from her gunshot wounds and police say several casings were found next to her body. 

A wake for Mack is scheduled from 1 to 9 p.m. Thursday and a funeral service is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Friday. Both services will take place at Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas. 

RELATED: 'It's overwhelming': Community mourning after Black transgender woman killed in East Oak Cliff

"To turn around and see something like this happen to a Black trans woman, and more than likely because they are trans, even though they are Black, it’s very devastating,” Naomi Green with Abounding Prosperity in Dallas said. "It’s a huge slap in the face."  

Credit: Facebook
Merci Mack was known to her family as "Pooda."

The killing happened on June 30, the last day of Pride month. The tragedy also comes days after LGBTQ advocates and Black Lives Matter supporters took to the streets in Dallas to speak out about equality and other issues.

"Black lives are inclusive of Black transgender lives,” said Sharyn Grayson, the Director of Development and Transgender Programs/Services. "The entire trans community, we hurt. We feel the same pains as the rest of our community feels, and the losses that we are suffering in our community, they are felt doubly.”

WFAA reporter Demond Fernandez contributed to this report. 

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