SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A transgender woman is speaking out for the first time after being injured in a pellet gun shooting outside an LGBTQ+ bar in Bankers Hill over the weekend.
Ash, who asked that we not use her last name, was standing outside SRO Lounge around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, when she saw a dark pickup truck driving slowly with its back window rolled down.
She described seeing a man, possibly in his early 20s, holding a gun with both hands. The two made eye contact before he opened fire.
“He had no expression. I couldn't move. I froze" Ash said. "When he shot the first few bullets, I could feel the bullets bypass me."
One patron yelled, “They’re shooting!” while others ducked or ran into the bar. As Ash turned around, the shooter fired additional rounds.
"As I'm turning around, he fires 2, 3 more. Two of them happen to hit me," she said.
The truck sped away, leaving Ash with two large welts on her shoulder and arm. Another customer was struck on her hand during the attack.
Police say a similar shooting occurred that same night on University Avenue in Hillcrest.
The incident has left Ash feeling vulnerable and unsafe.
“Mentally, emotionally, you do spiral a little," she said.
When asked about the motivation behind the attack, Ash responded: "Hate toward the trans community."
The shooting comes more than a year after a string of pellet gun attacks, mostly targeting LGBTQ+ bars in Hillcrest. Four 19-year-old men pleaded guilty to assault in connection with those earlier incidents, though several shootings remain unsolved.
Police are investigating whether the recent shooting is linked to previous attacks.
Ash worries her attackers could strike again if they're not caught.
"If they don't get caught, it's going to happen again," she said. "That was supposed to be a safe place. Unfortunately, it didn't feel safe that night … Scared for sure. Scared, definitely."
Police have not said whether they're viewing the shooting as a hate crime. Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call San Diego Police at 619-531-2000.
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