A Californian woman who owned a clothing store was shot and killed after an argument about a rainbow Pride flag hanging outside her business.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, Laura Ann “Lauri” Carleton, 66, died from a gunshot wound Friday evening at her store, Mag. Pi, in Cedar Glen, about 80 miles by car east of Los Angeles.
The suspected shooter, Travis Ikeguchi who was found at the crime scene was shot dead after he opened fire at the police.
Explaining the events that led to the killing of the suspect, Dicus said:
When deputies tried to apprehend Ikeguchi, the suspect shot at San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies, striking several of their vehicles.
According to Sheriff Shannon Dicus, Ikeguchi had torn down the flag and yelled “many homophobic slurs” toward Carleton, and Ikeguchi shot Carleton when she confronted him.
Ikeguchi had also made “several disparaging remarks” about the flag before shooting Carleton, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
According to the group president of the Human Rights Campaign, Kelley Robinson, “LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency. The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived – they are real, tangible, and dangerous.
This is absolutely horrific,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a social media post about the shooting. “This disgusting hate has no place in” California.
