Michigan Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting of Raymond “Ray” Muscat, a 24-year-old Transgender Man, in Oakland County

The Michigan chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement in response to the death of Raymond Muscat, a transgender man, who was shot and killed by his girlfriend, in Oakland County.

“Our hearts are with Ray’s family and friends during this difficult time,” said Skye Thietten, a volunteer with the Michigan chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Ray’s death is a tragic reminder of the convergence of domestic violence and gun violence in the trans community, and highlights the need for gun safety laws that will protect transgender and gender non-confirming people in Michigan from gun violence.” 

Ray’s death marked at least the 13th violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2022 in the United States and Puerto Rico. It’s likely there have been more deaths that have gone unreported or victims who have been misgendered. 

2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans and gender nonconforming people in the U.S. Some trends from 2017 to 2021 that researchers fear are continuing in 2022:

• There was an 93% increase in incidents of tracked transgender homicides from 2017 to 2021 (from 29 incidents in 2017 to 56 incidents in 2021). 
• Guns are the most frequently used weapon in the murder of trans people. Nearly three-fourths of trans people killed in America were killed with a gun.
• Interpersonal violence accounts for a significant number of fatalities against transgender and gender non-conforming people. A report by the HRC Foundation found that between 2013 and 2021, approximately two thirds of transgender and gender non-conforming people with known killers had their lives taken by an acquaintance, friend, family member or intimate partner. 

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund has tracked homicides of transgender and gender non-comforming people in the U.S. since 2017. In addition to breaking down gun violence to the state- and county-level, the platform includes a database of known trans or gender nonconforming homicide victims in the United States.