Itali Marlowe is at Least the 19 Trans Person Killed Nationwide This Year; 15 Have Been Killed With a Gun; Almost All Were Black Women
At least 5 Transgender Women Have Been Killed or Wounded in Texas This Year; 3 Have Been Shot with a Gun
HOUSTON — The Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement in response to the death of a transgender woman in Southwest Houston on September 20, 2019. According to reports, Itali Marlowe was shot multiple times in the Ridgemont neighborhood and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“We’re heartbroken to learn of Itali Marlowe’s death, and our condolences are with her friends and family,” said Marilyn Gore, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We need stronger gun laws that will protect all of us, especially those disproportionately impacted by gun violence. This violence is unacceptable. ”
Itali Marlowe is the second trans woman killed in Houston this past year, after Tracy Single was killed with a knife over the summer. There have been at least five instances of violence against trans women in Texas in 2019, including three trans women of color who were shot with a gun. The state of Texas’ hate crime law does not include protections for gender identity.