The Ohio chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both a part of Everytown for Gun Safety grassroots networks, released the following statement on the death of Diamond Kyree Sanders, a 23-year-old Black transgender woman who was shot to death in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 3. According to the National Black Justice Coalition, Diamond’s death is currently being investigated, and anyone with information can contact the Cincinnati Police Department Homicide Unit at 531-352-3542.
“Our hearts go out to Diamond’s friends, family, and community,” said Jill Bowman, volunteer with the Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Trans people, particularly Black trans women, continue to face heart-breaking rates of violence — and especially gun violence. They deserve our protection and they deserve action on gun safety that is proven to save lives.”
Diamond Kyree Sanders is at least the 10th reported trans person killed in 2021, although it’s likely there have been more deaths that have gone unreported or victims have been misgendered. Last year was the deadliest year on record for trans and gender nonconforming people in the U.S. after 38 people were killed. Some trends from 2017 to 2020 that are likely to continue:
- Guns are the most frequently used weapon in the murder of trans people. Three-fourths of trans people killed in America were killed with a gun.
- Black trans women account for the majority of homicide victims in the trans community. To put this into perspective, while Black people make up 16% of the trans population, 75% of known trans homicide victims between 2017 and 2020 were Black.
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund has tracked homicides of transgender and gender non-comforming people in the U.S since 2017. In addition to breaking down gun violence to the state- and county-level, the platform includes a database of known trans or gender nonconforming homicide victims in the United States. As the numbers show, violence against the trans community is inherently linked to guns and 2020 was the deadliest year on record.
In an average year in Ohio, more than 1,500 people die by gun violence. Altogether, gun homicides, assaults, and police shootings cost the state $10.9 billion each year. Read more about gun violence in Ohio here.
