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Report: Sibling Killed by Dayton Shooter Was Transgender Man

HeadlineAug 08, 2019

The website Splinter is reporting new details about the sibling of Dayton, Ohio, shooter Connor Betts, who was the first victim in Sunday morning’s massacre that left nine people dead and 27 wounded. The sibling was initially identified as Connor Betts’ sister, Megan Betts, but a friend told Splinter Betts was a transgender man who went by the name Jordan Cofer, used male pronouns and appeared to be out to only a handful of people — and possibly not even his family. It’s not clear whether the gunman knew about Cofer’s gender identity, or whether it played a role in the shooting. In a statement, the National Center for Transgender Equality said, “Mass gun violence is an epidemic in this country and deserving of swift and immediate action by lawmakers at all levels of government. We join the nation in mourning for every community impacted by gun violence.” In 2019 alone, at least 10 trans people have been murdered in the U.S.

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