Writer Elie Mystal Reveals Dog Was Killed on Halloween—"My Kids Saw It All"

Elie Mystal discusses his book “They Want to Kill Americans” during American Violence and The Trump Insurgency: Malcolm Nance in Conversation With Elie Mystal at The 92nd Street Y, New York on July 13, 2022 in New York City. The writer revealed his dog was killed on Halloween and is taking a step back from social media.

Elie Mystal has revealed his dog, Raya, was killed on Halloween in a heartbreaking post shared on Twitter.

The writer, 44, took to the platform on Monday, October 31, to announce he’s stepping away from social media following her death.

“Off air. I’m going to take a break for Twitter for a bit. In some sad news at 4:00 today my dog was killed. She was waiting for my kids to come home, by the door as always.

“But, while they were debussing we went out to give the bus driver a bag of Halloween candy. The dog bolted,” the New York Times bestselling author said.

“Some… driver… was trying to get around the stopped school bus, at speed. The driver hit my dog, instantly killing her, and kept right on going,” he explained, noting, “My kids saw it all.”

“I’ll be filing a police report. Might come a time when I disappear (or am disappeared) from Elon Musk’s Twitter,” Mystal added, referring to the Tesla CEO’s recent purchase of the platform. “But right now, we’re all just heartbroken. I’ll see you guys on the other side.”

Newsweek reached out to Mystal for further comment.

Off air. I’m going to take a break for Twitter for a bit. In some sad news at 4:00 today my dog was killed. She was waiting for my kids to come home, by the door as always. But while they were debussing we went out to give the bus driver a bag of Halloween candy. The dog bolted..

— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) October 31, 2022

At the time of publication, Mystal’s initial tweet garnered more than 62,000 likes. In the comments, people sent their condolences.

“Oh Elie. Unimaginable,” comedian Kathy Griffin wrote. “I know you gave that doggie a good life. The kids! What’s wrong with people? Just devastating and infuriating.”

“Oh my goodness that is so awful and I’m sorry to hear it,” journalist Aaron Rupar added. “My heart goes out to you and your family.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” historian Kevin M. Kruse tweeted via his verified account.

MSNBC host Katie S. Phang, meanwhile, said, “I am heartbroken for you and your entire family. What a horrible thing to have to go through. Praying that you are all going to be ok.”

“I’m so sorry!!! Drivers that go around school [buses] should be punished in the strongest of manners,” someone else chimed in, which racked up over 3,000 likes.

“So sincerely sorry for the loss of your family member. A death in the family is always difficult, but when it’s under these circumstances & so sudden, the pain is even sharper,” another said. “My deepest sympathy.”

Mystal first introduced Raya to his 480,000 Twitter followers in June 2021.

“Introducing Raya. 1yr old Lhasa Apso,” he shared at the time. “She had an infection and needed to be spayed, so she couldn’t be a show dog. But, our gain. Because she is perfect and everything our family needs.”

Introducing Raya.

1yr old Lhasa Apso. She had an infection and needed to be spayed, so she couldn’t be a show dog. But, our gain. Because she is perfect and everything our family needs. pic.twitter.com/5kA3fdU9Jm

— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) June 6, 2021

Mystal is the justice correspondent at The Nation. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and his first book, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, was released on March 1.

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