Trans man hospitalised after being shot with pellet gun while shopping for groceries
A trans man who was hospitalised after being shot five times with a pellet gun has said “enough is enough” following the attack which has says has left him “absolutely traumatised”.
On Saturday (15 July), Andrew Jonathan Blake-Newton – who is autistic, has multiple sclerosis and is a full-time wheelchair user – alleges he was shot five times at around midnight in Pontiac, Michigan.
Blake-Newton told PinkNews he’s “absolutely traumatised” by the attack which happened less than two blocks from his home while he was going to the store for groceries in his electric wheelchair.
He recalls how someone from a “small beige four-door car opened fire” on him, shooting metal bullets from a pellet gun five times hitting him once in each leg, twice in his side, and once in his wrist.
*‘They laughed after they shot me’ *
“They drove away shouting ‘tr***y’ and ‘f****t’ and laughed after they shot me.”
After being shot, Blake-Newton said he was “in shock”, adding: “All I could feel was fear, and I fled, I felt like there was a spot light on me, and I needed to get off the sidewalk and onto my street.”
He shared details of the attack on Facebook, along with photos of his injuries.
Injured and afraid, Blake-Newton said he was close to having a panic attack when cops arrived.
After calling his husband, who called an ambulance for him, Blake-Newton said he headed back home as he bled from the five wounds. Shortly after, he was taken to hospital for treatment.
The incident has been reported to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
*‘No one should have to live in fear for being their authentic self’*
“I’m speaking out about it because enough is enough, it is 2023, and attacks like this shouldn’t be happening, they never should have been happening,” Blake-Newton said.
“No one should have to live in fear for being their authentic self. I’m hoping that my story will help others speak up, that my voice will be joined with others that have suffered, until we are a crowd, and we are loud enough to finally be heard, and changes can be made to protect the community.
“Even if I’m not alive to see it because of my health issues. I don’t care about me, we need to do something.”
The attack on Blake-Newton comes as research conducted for and published by GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League revealed a shocking increase in hate and extremism during Pride Month 2023, compared to previous years.
The report, which was published in July, found that there were at least 145 anti-LGBTQ+ extremist incidents reported in the US during June’s Pride Month this year.
PinkNews has contacted Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for comment.