A man in Seattle has been sentenced to seven years in prison following a violent hate crime attack against a transgender woman in the city’s University District.
Andre Karlow was convicted on Friday (13 March) of second-degree assault and committing a hate crime in connection to the March 2025 attack on Andie Holcepl.
Holcepl told the court she encountered Karlow and a group of men while walking to a Seattle Mariners opening day game. Prosecutors said Karlow began hurling insults, referring to her as a “drag queen”, before escalating the situation.
When Holcepl attempted to record the harassment, Karlow punched her in the mouth. Witnesses testified that several others then joined in, punching and kicking her while shouting anti-transgender slurs.
The assault left Holcepl with serious injuries, including broken teeth, facial trauma and a brain bleed. She eventually managed to escape and seek help at a nearby restaurant.
Jurors later determined the attack met Washington state’s legal definition of a hate crime, concluding Holcepl was targeted because of her gender identity.
During sentencing in King County Superior Court, prosecutors highlighted a recorded jail call in which Karlow made further anti-transgender remarks, stating: “If I didn’t hate trans people before, I do now, absolutely. I think that Donald Trump should kill them all. Get them out of here. They’re weird.”
Assistant prosecutor Yessenia Manzo told the court that incidents like this contribute to the fear many transgender people experience in public spaces, reinforcing ongoing concerns about safety and discrimination.
The University District assault was not Karlow’s only offence involving a transgender victim. In 2024, he assaulted a transgender fare ambassador working for Sound Transit after being asked to verify his fare. While a jury found him guilty of fourth-degree assault in that case, they did not reach a verdict on a hate crime charge.
According to reports, Karlow showed little remorse during sentencing, as the judge handed down an 84-month prison term for the 2025 attack.
