Banko Brown’s death ‘still feels raw’ 1 year later, advocates say

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The Young Women’s Freedom Center is honoring and remembering Banko Brown, a unhoused transgender man who was slain at a Walgreens store in San Francisco one year ago. Brown, 24, died a senseless death, and little has been done to protect young transgender people in the city, community advocates said.

Walgreens security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, 33, shot Brown on April 27, 2023. Brown was allegedly dashing out the front door with stolen candy onto Market Street when the guard opened fire.

After he was shot, Brown’s last words to the guard were, “Sorry man, that shouldn’t have happened. I was stupid,” one witness told police. Brown was unarmed.

YWFC’s Executive Director, Julia Arroyo, said, “A year after the brutal killing of Banko Brown it still feels raw and fresh. Banko’s life was worth so much more than what it was taken for. Every parent and community member in California has to live with the chilling knowledge that he was shot … for allegedly stealing $14 worth of candy. Poverty — which is worse when you are also Black — the real reason Banko was killed, is knocking on the doors of all of us who are not wealthy.”

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, because the guard believed he was in imminent danger, he will not be charged with any crimes. The guard claimed that Brown had threatened to stab him while they were wrestling inside the store. The entire incident was recorded on security cameras.

Anthony later said his job was “a lot of pressure, it’s a lot to deal with. A person can only take so much,” according to a wrongful death civil lawsuit.

Security guard who shot Banko Brown felt ‘on edge’ before Walgreens killing

Brown was a champion for transgender youth in San Francisco, Arroyo said.

“In the face of adversity, he was resilient and courageous. He fearlessly fought for the rights and dignity of trans people, and left an everlasting mark on YWFC and the movement as a whole. As an organization, we have worked hard to build real, more compassionate, and humane alternatives to the punitive systems. We have launched Beloved Community Housing which will help young people like Banko be housed safely and provided the support they need to thrive,” Arroyo wrote.

Arroyo wrote, “I hope as you take a moment to remember Banko, you feel angry about this. And take what actions you can to protect poor and Black trans youth.”

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