Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Statement on Shooting of Trans Person in Akron

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 a transgender person in Akron, Ohio last month. As the Akron Beacon-Journal reported last week, the family of Brian Joseph Powers is still searching for answers after Powers, also known as “Egypt,” was shot and killed in downtown Akron on June 13. No suspects have been arrested for the shooting.

“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family as they continue to seek justice,” said Erin Dickinson, an Akron resident and volunteer with the Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Trans people, particularly Black trans people, continue to live and thrive despite the constant threat of violence. They deserve our protection, and we will fight to make sure all of our communities are safe from senseless gun violence.” 

Brian Joseph Powers was at least the nineteenth trans person killed nationwide this year, according to Everytown research accessible through EveryStat. News of Powers’ death comes as reports emerge that a trans woman, Tiffany Harris, was stabbed and killed this weekend in the Bronx.

Between 2017 and 2019, there were 80 homicides of trans or gender non-conforming people in America, and three-fourths of these victims were killed with a gun. In a report released this summer, research by Everytown reveals that while just 16 percent of the trans population in the U.S. is estimated to be Black, 79 percent of known trans homicide victims were Black. For Black trans women especially, guns are inextricable from the threat of violence.