Trans woman shot & killed by food delivery driver

Meghan Riley Lewis, a 57-year-old trans woman and LGBTQ+ advocate, was shot and killed in front of her home on Wednesday by a food delivery driver in Baltimore.

According to police, Lewis and the driver, Brian Delen, 47, were in a physical altercation before Delen drew a gun and shot Lewis in the torso.

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“He was standing there, pretty much surrendered to us, so officers placed him in custody and they recovered a firearm from his person — a loaded firearm,” Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore told CBS News Baltimore of the alleged shooter.

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Lewis was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Delen was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and firearms charges. He is currently being held without bond.

Police said Delen was delivering food to Lewis at her apartment around 6:30 pm in the English Country Manor neighborhood of Baltimore when the two got into an argument.

The altercation moved to the parking lot in front of the complex, where Delen drew the gun and shot Lewis, a parent of two.

She was discovered bleeding in the parking lot by responding officers, who started life-saving measures before Lewis was transported from the scene.

“She was a very open, loving and sparkly individual,” one friend said. “Her catchphrase for everything was ‘stay sparkly.'”

Lewis founded a patient support group for Baltimore-bound trans people seeking gender-affirming care and surgery, according to friends, who also said Lewis opened her door to anyone who needed support.

“She opened her doors, her heart, everything for LGBT individuals and was one of the strongest advocates in supporting them,” one friend said.

Police say Lewis’s murder is not currently being investigated as a hate crime, but that designation could be applied depending on more information collected from Delen and unidentified witnesses.

Police are asking neighbors who may have heard or seen anything to share surveillance video and statements with police.

As of the end of November, at least 30 trans people fell victim to fatal violence in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Of that number, over three-quarters were killed with a firearm.