Hate crime report: Transgender woman shot with pellet gun
Someone with a pellet gun shot a transgender woman in the back as she walked in downtown Berkeley on Friday. City officials are speaking out.
Berkeley police are investigating a hate crime against a transgender support group leader Friday night.
Authorities say someone in an older model black sedan shot the transgender woman with a pellet gun as she left a support group meeting in downtown Berkeley.
The woman was walking east from Shattuck Avenue on the south side of Center Street when she heard a male voice yell out a homophobic slur, police said.
She was then shot four times in the back with what police determined to have been a pellet gun. BPD said the woman was not injured.
The hate crime assault took place Friday at about 10:30 p.m.
Police said the woman thought several people were in the car at the time of the shooting.
Afterward, the driver fled.
Police say the investigation remains underway and that officers are working to secure surveillance footage from the area.
Over the weekend, the Berkeley mayor's office issued a statement from the City Council about the recent hate crime.
"While details are still being investigated, we are deeply disturbed that this has happened in our city, particularly as we are about to begin what should be a joyful month of Pride celebrations," Mayor Adena Ishii's office wrote in a social media post.
"We do not tolerate hate in Berkeley and will not allow fear to extinguish our joy," the statement continued. "We emphatically condemn this act of hate and wholeheartedly stand with the LGBTQIA+ community. Our city is committed to being a safe and inclusive place for all."
On Sunday, the Berkeley Police Department issued its own statement to honor Pride Month, which began Sunday, noting that the pride flag would be "displayed in our lobby as a visible sign of our Department’s support for and service to the LGBTQ+ community."
During Pride Month, BPD said, Berkeley police officers and other BPD employees are allowed to wear Pride pins to show their support.
BPD said officers and other LGBTQ+ liaisons "will be attending community events throughout the month, sharing Pride-themed BPD items to celebrate and connect with our community."
"The members of the Berkeley Police Department are proud to continue expressing our unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community — both within our Department and throughout the broader Berkeley community," BPD wrote.
According to department data, Berkeley police have investigated at least 16 other hate crimes in 2025 as of May 1, including four described as anti-Black and three described as anti-LGBTQ.
There have been 54 anti-LGBTQ hate crimes reported in Berkeley since 2016, second only to the 61 anti-Black hate crimes reported over the same period, according to available BPD data.
Learn more about Pride Month in Berkeley
- Berkeley Public Library Pride Month events and resources (ongoing)
- UC Berkeley Pride Month resources and events (ongoing)
- Berkeley Rep Pride Night: June 7
- City of Berkeley Pride Month Resource Fair: June 24
