Moms Demand Action, National Center For Transgender Equality Respond to Fatal Shooting of Transgender Woman in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, and the National Center for Transgender Equality today released the following statement in response to the death of a transgender woman in Charlotte. According to reports, Monika Diamond was shot to death in the back of an ambulance while being treated for shortness of breath early Wednesday morning: 

“My heart goes out to Monika’s family and friends, and everyone who knew and loved her,” said Claire Kempner, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action. “This is yet another sad reminder of how gun violence disproportionately impacts marginalized communities – especially Black transgender women. We simply must do more.” 

“Monika Diamond should be alive today,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Deputy Executive Director at the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Gun violence is an epidemic that is killing the trans community – and we need to act now to pass common-sense gun laws that will disarm hate and save lives.”

Monika is at least the second trans person killed nationwide this year; both were killed by a gun. Research by Everytown shows that last year, at least 25 trans people were killed nationwide – 19 were killed with a gun. The vast majority of trans people killed in 2019 were Black women. 

According to Everytown research accessible through EveryStat, there have now been 82 homicides of transgender Americans since January 2017 – 74 percent of them gun homicides. 80 percent of all transgender gun homicide victims in the US were Black women.