Trans Woman Helle Jae O'Regan Killed

Transgender woman Helle Jae O'Regan has been identified as the victim of a workplace rampage that claimed her life and injured two others in San Antonio on 6th May.

20-year-old Helle was employed at Diesel Barbershop in San Antonio, Texas, where the incident took place.

According to police statements and media reports, 42-year-old Damion Campbell entered the barbershop to book an appointment whilst staff were preparing the premises to re-open, but when asked to provide payment he left the store, before returning with weapons. He was seen in surveillance video holding both a knife and a gun, and threatened the three members of staff present.

Two of Helle's fellow employees were able to escape, one without injuries whilst the other received several stab wounds. According to the police, Campbell choked Helle unconscious before stabbing her to death. Police have said that they do not believe Helle's gender played a role in her death.

 Helle has been described as a proud trans woman, who embraced her identity. On the Trans Day of Visibility she posted to her Instagram account where she shared pictures of her transition. 'I wasn't going to post anything but it's #transdayofvisibility so I decided I will. I was looking at the pictures I used to take before I transitioned versus now and it made me realize I'm way happier than I used to be. I love myself now. Thank you to everyone who's ever supported me and to anyone who hasn't I hope you come around. I'm happy and proud to be myself.' The post said.

Management of Diesel Barbershop chose to release a statement on their Facebook page in order to provide members of the public with more information, and to correct some reports that had provided incorrect information on the incident.

The Diesel family is devasted over the loss of life and acts of violence committed against the employees of our Bandera Oaks location on May 6th. This senseless act of violence has shaken us to our core and is affecting us all in ways we could have never imagined. Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers as we try to comprehend what just happened and move forward through the rough days ahead.

Because of this tragic event on May 6th, the re-opening of all of the Diesel Barbershops in San Antonio and New Braunfels is being temporarily delayed until Friday May 15th.

To help dispel the false reports from the various media outlets, here are the basic facts of the events of May 6th, 2020 as best as I can relay them. Out of respect and privacy for the families and employees involved in this horrible tragedy, I have intentionally chosen to not identify the 3 of them by name.

3 Diesel Barbershop employees were at Bandera Oaks the morning of May 6th answering phones to book appointments and deep cleaning the shop for our re-opening on May 8th. An individual came to the front door (which was locked) and attempted to enter. We unlocked and opened the door to let him know we were closed and getting the shop ready to reopen on Friday. The man then asked about making an appointment for when we reopen. As we would have likely done for any of our clients, we let the man in to the shop to book his appointment. We gathered the necessary information but when it came time to secure his appointment by placing a credit card on file, he said he needed to step outside to grab a form of payment. When the man stepped back into the shop, the staff realized that along with the backpack he was now carrying, he also had a handgun and a knife. Attempts were made to give the man whatever he wanted…cash, equipment, or whatever it took to get him out of the shop. The man made it clear that he wasn’t there for money. He then began asking the employees: “What have you done wrong? What have you done wrong? God sent me here to kill you because you have done something wrong! What have you done wrong?” over and over again while forcing them to the back of the shop. Details beyond this are sketchy at best. In the end, one employee managed to escape and call 911. One employee was stabbed 5 times in the back, but she also managed to escape. Tragically, one employee lost their life in this senseless act of violence. Even as I type it, I still cannot believe it. It’s a nightmare of the most epic proportions.

From the beginning, there has been a great deal of incorrect information reported in the media. For example:

1. Chief McManus stated publicly in an interview that we were open, and the man was receiving a service. This is patently false. We were not open for business nor doing illegal haircuts. We were cleaning the shop to prepare it to open on Friday May the 8th and the front door was locked. We let the man in because he said he said wanted to book an appointment for when we reopen.

2. There was not an altercation in front of the shop. Everything occurred inside the shop. The employees who ran out of the shop ran to Pei Wei and Monarch Dental to call 911. Neither business is involved in this tragedy beyond that.

Here is what I know to be true and what I know I need to focus on to help me and my Diesel family process this senseless tragedy. A man attempted to kill 3 of my amazing employees. 3 wonderful, kindhearted, give you the shirt off of their backs, loyal employees for no reason at all. None. In fact, detectives tell us this appears to be a completely random act of violence. And because of that random act of violence, one life has been ended and a family is forever changed, two employees will be forever scarred and changed by this, and the entire Diesel Family is reeling in shock. We’re all just numb now. Numb.

Make no mistake about it. This tragedy will forever be a part of who we are, but it will not define us, what we do and how we take care of our clients. I kindly and respectfully ask that you all rally around the staff at the Bandera Oaks location and that you throw all of the love and support you can to the families of the employees who were directly involved in this horrible horrible tragedy. They need you. We need you.

Thank you for your support and love all of these years. It means more to me and to my staff than you will ever know.

We will be back and we will get through this. One. Day. At. A. Time.

Emmett Schelling, the Executive Director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) spoke out on the incident. 'We are saddened to hear of the news about Helle O’Regan’s death. Trans and non-binary Texans, unfortunately, lays claim to being the state with the highest number of reported murders of transgender people than any other state these past five years. The stigma that exists and is continued to be perpetuated from the highest held offices in our state only feeds into this. We mourn for Helle’s life being cut so prematurely, but take comfort in hearing how much joy she brought to those who knew, loved and accepted her fully as her authentic self.'

Tori Cooper, of the Human Rights Campaign posted on the organisation's website saying, 'The Human Rights Campaign is standing with Helle’s family and friends in mourning today. Her death further underscores the dire and urgent need to end violence and discrimination against transgender people - and especially against transgender women - now.'

One of Helle's friends, Luke Tyler, spoke to local news networks about Helle, saying 'Every time I saw her, she smiled. She’d do anything for you. She was a caring person. I never saw her in a bad mood. Being trans is so hard, and her life was hard, but she lived like it was the best day of her life every day.'

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