Transgender Mall Guard, Jo Acker Shot and Killed Protecting Others

26-year-old transgender woman Jo Acker was shot Monday morning at a Boise Idaho Mall where she worked when she ran towards a man shooting mall patrons. 

The mass shooting would have been worse according to her sister, who said protecting others came naturally to her. 

Acker’s sister tells 11 News she had an enormous heart of gold and would do anything for anybody no matter what. “Confronting someone whom she viewed to be a threat to others or a bully was entirely within her character even prior to enlisting,” said Tiffany Luna, Jo Acker’s oldest sister.

 Previously Jo Acker served as a forward observer in the US Army.

Boise Police responded Monday just after 2 p.m. to reports of gunfire and at least one person wounded at Boise Towne Square. When officers arrived, they encountered a person matching the description of the shooting suspect and an exchange of gunfire followed, according to Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee. 

The incident left three dead including the shooting suspect, Boise Police announced Tuesday. Five others were injured.

Luna says there has been an outpouring of support and messages the family has received about the impacts Acker had on them. 

 “We have had people messaging us to tell us how she helped them, how she saved them, and we are so thankful for the love and support we are receiving.” 

 Acker’s oldest sister says she would want everyone to remember to choose love and to not make this tragic incident about something else. She says Acker would want people to focus on telling those that you love how much you love and care about them because you never know if you will get another chance to do so.

 Acker has a 3-year-old daughter, 5 sisters, and a step-brother.

A verified GoFundMe has been set up by Karyn Kennedy, one of her older sisters to help with funeral expenses and to help set up a bright future for Everay, the daughter left behind.

 Rest In Peace Jo Acker.

Why is the Dallas LGBT resource center trying to get a sports championship moved to Texas?

The ink hasn't dried on the Texas Trans student Athlete Ban, the NCAA has ignored our demands that they stand behind their promises, and the Communication Director of the Dallas LGBT center is working to get a major league sporting championship moved to Texas.

Rafael McDonnell, Senior Advocacy, Policy, & Communications Manager at Resource Center located in Dallas Texas said on Facebook that he  "filled in for the boss at a reception to welcome an international soccer delegation scouting out North Texas as a potential 2026 World Cup site."

I asked him "How do you reconcile that with the legislature's trans student athletic ban?"

McDonnell answered quickly posting on Facebook:

 "I am hopeful that bans like the one here in Texas will be struck down in the courts. We've already seen challenges in other states with more favorable federal courts. If SCOTUS' reasoning in last years employment cases holds true, that is another hopeful sign. Four years is a long ways away, and it's by no means certain that North Texas will get any of these games," said McDonnell."

McDonnell continued "Several of the sites under consideration have also passed similar (and worse) legislation...Nashville and Miami jump to mind. Mexico is on thin ice about hosting games in the current three-nation bid because of team fans repeatedly using homophobic and transphobic chants. FIFA (the governing body of international soccer) Is has been criticized for giving next is giving next year's World Cup to Qatar because of that country's human rights record, so they are going to look closely at that before making final location choices."

Jesus Christ. All I see now is a gay man rationalizing backstabbing trans kids. That is deplorable. I mean, has Abbott even signed the bill into law yet? 

In response to the Texas Rangers once again omitting any reference to LGBT kids on MLB Spirit Day McDonnell told the Dallas Morning News “To me, the Rangers are a bunch of scrappy guys who play their hearts out every day and you love that,” he said. “But the more this keeps happening, it becomes more difficult to love something that doesn’t even acknowledge you exist.”

And yes the worse is yet to come. The floodgates have opened and Texas will be full-on attacking trans people in the next legislative session.

And to tell you the truth as a designated persona non grata it really has been hard to support the North Texas gay community or the scrappy crew from Equality Texas.

To quote Rafael McDonnell "...the more this keeps happening, it becomes more difficult to love something that doesn’t even acknowledge you exist.”