Transgender woman Unique Banks, 21, was fatally shot in a targeted home invasion last Monday, January 23.
Among the victims were Alexsandra Olmo, Banks’s mother, Olmo’s boyfriend, and two other transgender women. The boyfriend and two other women survived; however, Olmo did not.
According to reports, multiple shooters, likely teenagers, broke into the apartment and opened fire. Police have yet to identify the shooters or a motive, but are offering a $15,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest. Police have, however, confirmed that this was likely a targeted act of violence.
Banks’ death marks at least the fifth reported killing of a transgender woman this year following Destiny Howard, Tortuguita, Jasmine “Star” Mack and Casey Johnson.
Banks’ brother remembered her on social media, writing,”…it’s hurts that’s your not here and I can’t hear your voice buy you will forever be in my heart and by my side pookkie.”
Unique’s father, Omar Burgos, expressed that his “heart is torn apart.”
“Nobody just goes to your house and just starts killing people,” says Burgo in a statement to 5 Chicago. “Something happened, but what happened? I don’t know.”
The Humans Rights Campaign released a report in November noting that transgender women are disproportionately victims of violent crimes. That number rises for transgender women of color.
The HRC has been tracking fatal instances of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people since 2013. Their reports indicate that nearly 80% of those violent hate crimes committed are against trans women.
Nonprofit group Everytown reports that more than 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm each year and notes a marked increase in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, especially against trans people.
At the time of the incident, this was the fortieth mass shooting in America in 2023 according to the Gun Violence Archive. That number has since risen to 53 incidents of gun violence where four or more people are shot.
