GREENSBORO – The North Carolina chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statements in response to the shooting of 25-year-old Quanesha Shantel, also known as Cocoa, a Black trans woman who was shot and killed in a car by a former partner on the night of Sunday November 10th.
“Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the tragic loss of Cocoa, whose life was cut short by senseless violence. We stand united in our commitment to end gun violence and ensure that our communities are safe for everyone in North Carolina and across the country,” said Grace McLain , a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Research shows that trans people are more likely to experience intimate partner violence, and when abusers have unfettered access to firearms, the results are deadly. Cocoa’s memory fuels our resolve to create a world where justice and safety are guaranteed for all.”
Since January 2017, there have been at least 295 homicides of transgender and gender-expansive people in the United States, 72 percent of which were with a gun. Further, these tragedies have a startlingly disproportionate impact on Black trans women. More than six in ten gun homicides of transgender and gender-expansive people were of Black trans women.
Gun-related intimate partner violence is a devastating and lethal crisis facing women and families in the United States. Every month, an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner. Access to a gun makes it five times more likely that a woman will die at the hands of her abuser. What’s more, new research shows that intimate partners or family members perpetrated nearly one in five homicides of trans people, where the perpetrator is known. Trans people killed with a gun were nearly twice as likely to be killed by a family member or intimate partner than were gun homicide victims generally.
Cocoa’s death is not an isolated event. Transgender and gender-expansive people are 2.5 times as likely to be victims of violence as cisgender people. As of June this year, a record-breaking 617 anti-trans bills have been filed in states across the country. Hateful, extremist rhetoric coupled with anti-LGBTQ+ political attacks have significant and deadly consequences. When hatred is paired with unfettered access to firearms, marginalized groups face real-life violence. Lawmakers at every level must prioritize the safety of trans and gender-expansive people by taking action to disarm hate and protect marginalized groups from gun violence.
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund has tracked homicides of transgender and gender-expansive people in the U.S. since 2017. In addition to breaking down gun violence to the state- and county level, Everystat includes a database of known trans or gender-nonconforming homicide victims in the United States.
For decades, North Carolina has benefited from relatively strong gun laws, however, recently the state has taken steps to weaken their laws, including repealing requirements for prospective gun buyers to obtain a handgun purchase permit (SB41).
With a rate of 16.0 deaths per 100,000 people, North Carolina has the 23rd-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. In North Carolina Black people are 2.1x more likely than white people to die by guns. Gun violence costs North Carolina $19.5 billion each year, of which $471.0 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in North Carolina is available here.