Seattle members of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) were deeply saddened and angered to learn of the death of Eucy, a DSA member, following an apparent exchange of gunfire during an attempt by King County Sheriff’s deputies to evict Eucy from her Ballard apartment. The King County Medical Examiner is ruling Eucy’s death a suicide. Seattle DSA is urging the media and law enforcement to stop mis-gendering Eucy, who identified as trans, and to stop calling her by her dead name.
Although we do not know the exact circumstances of Eucy’s death, it is indisputable that the inherently violent and traumatic process of deputies forcibly evicting a person from their home was a key factor. We deeply regret that this eviction ended with gunfire, injury, and death, regardless of who initiated it. DSA supports peaceful, mass resistance against evictions.
Unfortunately, this tragic outcome underscores the violent character of our capitalist housing system, which prioritizes the profits of landlords over the human right to housing. According to her friends, Eucy was unemployed following a workplace injury and was unable to pay rent.
Evictions inevitably lead to desperation and homelessness, disruptions to our education system, and the breaking apart of families and communities. Numerous studies indicate that housing instability and evictions lead to dramatically worse outcomes in education, mental and physical health, incarceration rates, and economic well-being. Seattle DSA condemns this systemic violence.
We will remember and honor the life of Eucy and all those who have been killed by this unjust system by redoubling our commitment to building a socialist future where housing is a human right and where poverty, inequality, racism, sexism, and transphobia are relics of the past.