Characterizing the Prevalence and Perpetrators of Documented Fatal Violence Against Black Transgender Women in the United States (2013–2021)

The epidemic of fatal violence against Black transgender women in the United States requires immediate response. We conducted secondary analyses of public databases with 229 documented acts of fatal violence against transgender women; Black transgender women accounted for 78.6%. Significantly more Black transgender women were fatally shot by a gun (<i>p </i>< .001) and killed younger (<i>p </i>= .002) than non-Black transgender women. Perpetrators were identified in 54% of cases, among whom 75% were Black cisgender men. Most Black transgender women (64.6%) had romantic/sexual relationships with the perpetrator. Findings call for violence prevention responses that reduce Black transgender women's vulnerability to violence and engage Black cisgender men seeking intimate relationships with Black transgender women.