Monday’s Philadelphia mass shooting swiftly faded from headlines upon the revelation that the alleged perpetrator, Kimbrady Carriker, is a cross-dressing Black Lives Matter (BLM) advocate.
Carriker, a biological male, is accused of firing into a crowd, resulting in five fatalities, including a 15-year-old boy. Several others were injured, including a two-year-old who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
According to Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, Carriker showed up at the scene of the shooting armed and ready for a long gunfight. He had an AR-15 style rifle, a handgun, a scanner for monitoring police traffic and a ballistic vest.
Krasner said the attack was a “random, premeditated deliberate killing carried out with an assault rifle.”
In response to the incident, BLM has accused conservatives of perpetrating “violence” by circulating images of Carriker dressed in women’s clothing.
One BLM spokesperson claimed Carriker does not identify as transgender, dismissing implications made from the pictures circulating on social media.
Debate is emerging around Carriker’s gender identity, with some seeing the denial of his transgender identity as politically motivated rather than a reflection of reality.
It’s observed that “Kimbrady”, an uncharacteristic name for a biological male, along with evidence of cross-dressing, point towards a potential gender transition.
In a move seemingly aimed at deflection, BLM and leftist activists are accusing conservatives of causing harm by highlighting Carriker’s alleged cross-dressing and potential transgender identity.
But it’s not a crime to shed light on the shooter’s background. The real harm was done when Carriker reportedly took five lives and injured multiple others, a fact that deserves unflinching attention.
Meanwhile, officials in Philadelphia are affirming the BLM assertion that Carricker is not transgender. However, the official did refer to Carricker using they/them pronouns.
Philadelphia DA’s LGBTQ advisory committee member Asa Khalif condemned the “conservative press” for “nasty, violent” discussions regarding Kimbrady Carricker’s gender identity.
“The suspect has not identified themselves as trans. They have only identified themselves as male,” Khalif told reporters Wednesday. “But the language spewed out by the conservative press is violent and is dangerous, and it’s targeting trans women of color. It’s rallying the community to be violent, and we’re better than that.”
“There are certain pictures that are circulating. Some of you may be aware of those pictures [showing] the shooter in one picture as male and other pictures dressed in female attire. [Conservatives] have used those pictures to attack trans people and particularly trans women of color,” he added.
The Philadelphia DA’s office has not responded to a request for comment on why the spokesperson used they/them pronouns to describe Carricker if he identifies as a biological male.
In the end, Carricker’s gender does not matter. Five people died and kids were injured, including a 2-year-old who was shot four times in the legs.
The only thing that looms is if Carriker is grappling with gender, suggested by the they/them pronoun use, then one has to consider if that played a role in this violent act.