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NCAVP mourns the death of Merci Mack, a 22-year-old Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Dallas, TX, on Tuesday, June 30th, just days after the death of Brayla Stone, 17, in Arkansas on June 25th, and within a month of two Black trans women, Rem’mie Fells (27) and Riah Milton (25), who died in a 24-hour period over June 8th and 9th. As too often happens, Merci was dead-named in police statement, even though she was identified as a transgender woman.
Merci’s body was found unconscious in a parking lot of the Rosemont Apartments by a passerby, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Local residents said they heard gunshots around 5 a.m. the same morning, but police haven’t identified any suspects or a motive yet.
The Dallas Morning News points out that Texas currently leads the nation in murders of transgender people. The state has had 15 anti-trans murders in the last five years and nearly half of them have happened in Dallas. The actual number could be even higher due to underreporting and misgendering of victims.
NCAVP stands in solidarity with Black trans women, and we know that it is always hard to read these reports of violence against our communities. We know this can be even more painful when there continues to be an unchecked epidemic of homicides of Black trans women, as police violence is escalating against Black and brown people, and our nation continues to be grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic that highlights long standing healthcare disparities for Black and brown communities. If you need support in these difficult times, you can always reach out to your local NCAVP member. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach our free bilingual national hotline at 212-714-1141 or report online for support.
NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.