TL;DR

• Rosa Martinez Machuca, a trans woman, was killed in a Target parking lot shooting in Austin.
• Police repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed her in reports.
• Local activist Brigitte Bandit called out authorities for disrespect and mishandling.
• Police issued a correction, but even then used wrong pronouns and attached the shooter’s photo.
• The case highlights Texas’ anti-trans policies and the daily dangers faced by trans women.

Misgendered in Death: Austin Police Under Fire

A tragedy in Austin turned even more heartbreaking this week when police bungled the dignity of a victim they were sworn to protect. Rosa Martinez Machuca, a trans woman working at a Target store, was fatally shot outside her workplace in a violent spree that also claimed the lives of Adam Chow and his four-year-old granddaughter. Within an hour, police arrested 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker for the crimes. But what followed compounded the trauma: Austin authorities repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed Rosa in their official statements.

For the city’s LGBTQ community, the slip wasn’t just clerical—it was salt in a fresh wound. Texas already bans residents from updating gender markers on IDs, ensuring trans people carry documents that don’t reflect who they are. In this case, it meant even in death, Rosa’s truth was erased by the system.

Outrage From the Community

Drag queen and activist Brigitte Bandit took to Instagram with righteous fury. “The Target employee that was shot and killed yesterday was a trans woman,” Bandit declared. “She’s being deadnamed by the police and the media right now, but her name is Rosa Martinez. And that needs to be corrected.”

The city’s LGBTQ residents echoed that sentiment online, blasting law enforcement for a pattern of disrespect. “The violence against trans people in this city is out of fu–ing control,” Bandit said, cutting to the heart of the issue: it’s not just about one misstep—it’s about a culture where trans lives aren’t valued.

A Botched Correction

The Austin Police Department tried to patch things up with an update on X the following day. But instead of dignity, they delivered another insult. The statement used “they/them” pronouns instead of Rosa’s she/her, while including a photo of the shooter—not Rosa.

“THIS IS NOT OKAY,” Bandit shot back. “APD posted an update for Rosa with a photo of the shooter… deadnaming and using they/them pronouns for a trans woman is NOT OKAY.” For grieving friends and chosen family, the police response didn’t heal the wound—it deepened it.

The Bigger Picture

For the LGBTQ community, especially trans women in Texas, Rosa’s case is devastatingly familiar. Misgendering isn’t just a bureaucratic error—it’s a way of stripping away humanity. Every time authorities fail to honor a person’s identity, it tells trans people they’re invisible, even when their lives are stolen by violence.

The LGBTQ community is demanding accountability, not just for the crime itself but for how Rosa was remembered. Activists say Rosa deserves justice in death, but more importantly, they want to ensure that the next trans woman taken too soon isn’t disrespected by the very institutions tasked with protecting her.

Because dignity matters. And Rosa Martinez Machuca deserves every bit of it.