Trans woman had to get multiple surgeries after being shot. The shooter just got convicted.

In Washington, D.C., a man has been found guilty of aggravated assault while armed after shooting a trans woman he accused of stealing $80 from his pocket while she performed oral sex on him.

A D.C. Superior Court jury found Jerry Tyree, 46, guilty of one count of aggravated assault while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of felony possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of liquid PCP.

Related:

He killed a trans woman because he “had to do it.” Now he’s going away for decades.

Prosecutors didn’t charge him with a bias crime due to a lack of evidence, but the impact on the trans community was still felt.

“I was relieved, for one thing, and kind of happy that justice was served,” Kayla Fowler, the victim of the shooting, told the Washington Blade after the verdict came down.

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Prosecution witnesses testified that Fowler and Tyree met at a well-known gathering place for female transgender sex workers on the afternoon of the assault.

“After negotiating a price for oral sex, the defendant and the victim walked together into a nearby apartment building, where the victim performed oral sex on the defendant,” according to a statement released by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C.

“The defendant then accused the victim of robbing him, and when she denied doing so, the defendant pulled out a small silver handgun and shot the victim directly in the penis before leaving the scene,” the statement recounted. “Police were called by a neighbor and the victim was transported to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries.”

Tyree was arrested a month after the shooting in November 2023 for possession of the same handgun used in the assault, less than a mile from where he shot Fowler on a staircase at the apartment building. Several glass vials, including one partially filled with suspected PCP, were also found in Tyree’s possession.

Prosecutors at trial said ballistic and DNA evidence, including a sample of Tyree’s semen found at the scene, proved “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Fowler’s account of the crime was true.

In testimony before the jury, Tyree argued that it was Fowler who pulled the gun and ended up shot accidentally after a struggle following Tyree’s accusation that Fowler had reached into his pocket during the sex act and extracted $80.

He said he took the gun from the scene before fleeing out of fear Fowler would chase and shoot him following the altercation.

In questioning from the prosecution, Tyree was asked if he knew Fowler was a trans woman. He replied, “I’m not a homosexual. I don’t mess with men.”

Fowler testified that Tyree had become angry after she’d asked him to wear a condom when she performed oral sex on him. She said the defendant backed away from her, tore off the condom, and masturbated to ejaculation on the staircase landing where they had their sexual encounter.

Tyree faces 10 to 30 years in prison for the assault and related gun and drug charges. Fowler has since moved to Baltimore.

“I left the area because it was harsh for me to live in the area after what happened to me. I was scared for my life,” she told the Blade, adding, “I had to undergo two major surgeries. I had to wear a colostomy bag for three and a half months to let me urinate.”

Speaking of the LGBTQ+ community and her fellow sex workers, Fowler said, “I would like them to be aware of their surroundings. Don’t trust everyone. Just be yourself and just be careful about what others may do to you because of the life we live.”

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