The Ballad of Niki Hunter
Whitehead and a friend were walking home when they were attacked by three men; one of the attackers was pistol whipping Whitehead on the ground when a passing police officer was flagged down. The attacker, refusing to put down his gun, advanced toward the officer. The officer fired his gun repeatedly, accidentally shooting Whitehead in the chest. Jesse Ramon, the attacker, survived four gunshot wounds.
Many in the LGBT community feel the violent attack was a hate crime, but police have ruled that out as no witnesses reported hearing derogatory slurs during the attack. Whitehead's roommate Joseph Johnson, who performs in drag as Krissta Nicols, believes his friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Whitehead had been planning the Gay Miss Universe Pageant to take place in Laredo, September 16-17 and had previously organized many shows for charity in Austin. His MySpace page has already been flooded with messages from other drag performers thanking him for his positive influence and good deeds.
