Claire Legato Was Known as a Peacekeeper
She authentically loved helping people, and often
This story is part of Know Their Names, a collection of articles illuminating and celebrating the lives of Black Trans women.
Claire Legato was young, but she understood the beauty of harmony. Claire, who would’ve celebrated her 22nd birthday this month, is remembered by her friend Fred Hunt as a welcoming conciliator. “I’ve seen her be peaceful and calm in situations that called for violence. A lot of the times she was the peacekeeper, but [she] did not hesitate to voice her opinion whenever she felt it was necessary,” Fred says.
Claire’s equanimity made her a delight. So did the solace she offered others, especially in times of need. “Once you got to know her, she was basically that best friend you always wanted when you were growing up. When you were going through something, she knew how to make you feel better,” Fred says. “Let’s say you were going through something with your parents and they kicked you out, she’d let you stay at her house.”
Fred first met Claire four short years ago when he was new to the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood of Cleveland, where she lived. He emphasized how she loved helping people — regardless of circumstances — and how she helped to bring him out of his shell. “I used to be a really shy guy. I didn’t feel comfortable being myself around people because of how judgy people were,” he says. “After I met her, we talked a couple times on several different occasions about opening up to yourself, being true to yourself, regardless of who’s around.”
That was Claire. She brought comfort to those close to her.
Claire was a practical jokester too. She aimed her pranks at friends but managed to charm her way out of any hard feelings coming her way. “It was my brother’s birthday, and I was asleep. I was just very tired because I think I was [just] getting out of work,” says Dajeanna Williams, Claire’s godsister. “She came and woke me up. She kept waking me up playing like pulling the covers off of me like ‘get up! Get up! It’s his birthday, get up!’ and I just couldn’t get up, I was just so tired. The next thing I know, I got water thrown on me.” Dajeanna goes on to say that once she finally got up from her nap she couldn’t even be mad at Claire about the water. “She was just dancing and I just had to bust out laughing.”
Pranks aside, Claire had vast interests and aspirations that spanned from cosmetology to reality TV to music. She was a gifted musician who knew how to play the clarinet, keyboard, and violin, according to her godmother Frances K. Crenshaw. Claire, who graduated from Collinwood High School, was also a talented dancer.
“She wanted to pursue dance. She wanted to go on the road. She wanted to travel.”
“I was actually trying to encourage her to go back to school, and she was persistent in pursuing dance. She finished high school and I wanted her to go to college because I wanted her to pursue the music interests,” Frances says. “She wanted to pursue dance. She wanted to go on the road. She wanted to travel, so going back to school wasn’t of interest to her.”
Claire didn’t get a chance to go after her dreams.
In the early morning hours of April 15, Claire was admitted to University Hospitals with life-threatening injuries after being shot in the head. According to reports, an argument broke out between Claire’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend about stolen income tax checks. Police reports say Claire confronted her mother’s boyfriend and then he shot her in the head. Claire succumbed to her injuries and died nearly a month later on May 14.
The Cleveland Police Department’s homicide unit reports that 62-year-old John Charles Booth was originally charged with attempted felonious assault in connection with the shooting, but the County Court recently dismissed those charges. He’s likely to be reindicted with murder charges in the coming months, according to police.
Since Claire’s death, friends have described the tone of the community as shocked and heartbroken.
“Nobody would expect that to happen to her,” says Roseline Vah, a high school friend.
Though Claire isn’t here to bring comfort to those reeling from this loss, she left an indelible mark on her loved ones. “Since she’s been gone, I can honestly say everybody has come together,” Dajeanna says. “Closer than what people are usually like. Anybody who knew her, it affected them in some type of way.”
