Two transgender women were injured late on the night of November 15 in a pellet gun assault outside SRO Lounge, an LGBTQ friendly bar in San Diego’s Bankers Hill neighborhood. Witnesses reported that a dark pickup truck drove slowly past the bar, a rear window rolled down, and a burst of pellet fire hit the group standing outside. The vehicle then sped away.
According to reporting from several outlets, witnesses believe between five and ten shots were fired. One of the victims, who asked to be identified only as Ash, said she saw the shooter’s face moments before the attack.
“He had no expression. I could not move. I froze,” she said in an interview with 10News. “When he fired the first few bullets, I could feel them pass by me. Two of them hit me.” She suffered visible welts on her shoulder and arm. Another woman nearby was hit in the hand.
Bartender Pedro Lomeli said he heard a rapid series of pops and then saw people scramble for cover outside the bar. The noise was loud enough that patrons initially thought it was a real firearm. Lomeli said he saw an older model black Ford F-150 driving away from the scene.
While police classified the injuries as minor, community members say the emotional impact is anything but. “This is supposed to be a safe place,” Lomeli said. “It takes away the peace from our patrons.”
A second pellet gun incident was reported that same night at Flicks, another popular LGBTQ venue in Hillcrest. No injuries occurred there, but investigators are examining whether the two attacks are connected. Both locations serve large LGBTQ communities and are within a short drive of each other.
The San Diego Police Department has not yet labeled the attack as a hate crime. However, victims and witnesses say the targeting of transgender women outside LGBTQ spaces suggests a clear motive. Ash said she now feels wary returning to places that once felt welcoming. “It did not feel safe that night,” she said. “Scared, for sure.”
Incidents like this reflect a broader pattern of harassment and violence aimed at transgender people in California. Data from the Williams Institute shows that a significant portion of trans residents in the state report harassment each year, and a noticeable number report physical attacks. Some of these cases involve pellet or gel gun assaults similar to the ones witnessed in Hillcrest last year. Several of those attacks remain unsolved.
LGBTQ bars often serve as community anchors and trusted gathering spaces. When violence reaches those doors, even in the form of a pellet gun, the result is a loss of safety that ripples across the community. In a moment where trans people are facing rising hostility nationwide, targeted assaults like this are a stark reminder that visibility still carries risk.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the San Diego Police Department at 619 531 2000.
