Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Travis Ikeguchi named as gunman who killed mother-of-nine over Pride flag

Police have named a man who shot dead a 66-year-old California store owner following an argument over a Pride flag.

Travis Ikeguchi, 27, killed Laura Ann Carleton outside of her Mag.Pi clothing store in Cedar Glen after making “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies responded to the incident around 5pm on Friday following reports of shots being fired. The mother of nine children was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Ikeguchi was later shot dead during a confrontation with police.

Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute saying that Carleton, who he called his “wonderful friend,” had been killed by a young man.

The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ described her as a “remarkable figure”, whose "unwavering support" for the community and “dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many”.

Key Points

• Woman, 66, shot dead following argument over Pride flag at her store

• Police name man who killed California storeowner over Pride flag

• Hollywood director Paul Feig remembers ‘wonderful friend’ Laura Carleton

• Gavin Newsom: ‘This is absolutely horrific’

Gunman tore down Pride flag and shouted homophobic slurs - police

07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The 27-year-old man who killed a California store owner following an argument over a Pride flag at her store allegedly ripped down the LGBTQ+ flag and shouted homophobic slurs at the woman, the authorities said.

After killing Laura Carleton, the man identified as Travis Ikeguchi, ran on foot but was confronted by the deputies about a mile from the store Friday night.

Ikeguchi opened fire on them, striking multiple squad cars, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus told reporters. Deputies returned fire and shot Ikeguchi, who died at the scene.

“Investigators determined that prior to the shooting the suspect tore down a Pride, or rainbow, flag that was hanging in front of the store and yelled many homophobic slurs toward Carleton,” Mr Dicus added.

Ikeguchi, who lived in Cedar Glen, frequently posted hate-filled content on social media, sheriff’s officials said.

The day before the shooting, Ikeguchi’s family had reported him missing to the sheriff’s department, officials said.

Several witnesses reported Carleton’s shooting and followed Ikeguchi while he ran away from the store, the sheriff said. The semiautomatic handgun used by Ikeguchi was not registered to him, and he did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon, according to officials.

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

06:30 , Bevan Hurley

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Independent Voices:

“It was only a matter of time.”

That was my first thought upon hearing of the callous and hateful murder of Laura Carleton, the owner of Mag Pi Clothing in Cedar Glen, California. A straight woman, Carleton was fatally shot by a man who confronted her over an LGBTQ+ Pride flag which was displayed at her shop. Her assailant was later killed by police.

This was not the first time someone had taken issue with Carleton’s Pride flag. As The Independent has previously reported, friends of Carleton say that the flag has been ripped down multiple times. Every time, she simply replaced the flag with another, refusing to cave in to the hateful bigots who vandalized her shop.

The inevitability of something like this happening was apparent to anyone paying attention.

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

Community members leave flowers outside Laura Carleton’s clothing store

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

‘She wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible’

05:30 , Bevan Hurley

Laura “Lauri” Carlton was a “dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur” and a co-founder of the Mountain Provisions Cooperative in Lake Arrowhead in California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

“Lauri was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice,” the cooperative wrote on Facebook.

“If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain.”

What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over a Pride flag

05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The man who gunned down a beloved store owner in California during a dispute over a Pride flag, was killed during “a lethal force encounter” with police.

The shooter was named by authorities in San Bernardino County on Monday as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, who killed his victim with an unregistered Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

The man shot and killed Laura Ann Carleton, 66, at her clothing store Mag.Pi after he made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store,” officials said.

It was unclear whether the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime.

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her store, Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.

Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City.

Andrea Cavallier reports.

What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over a Pride flag

Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

04:30 , Bevan Hurley

Ari and Kelsey Carleton, two of the shop owner’s nine children, wrote on Instagram that their “beautiful mommy” had been taken in a “senseless act of violence”.

“She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime,” the daughters wrote.

“Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch.”

Carleton opened her first Mag.Pi clothing store in Studio City, Los Angeles, in 2013, selling ethically sourced clothing including some of Carleton’s designs.

Ari and Kelsey Carleton said that in the two years since her mother opened her second Cedar Glen, vandals had on several occasions ripped down Pride flags hanging outside.

Each time, her mother would replace them with bigger ones, they said.

Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

Jamie Lee Curtis reacts to shooting of California store owner

04:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis has reacted as the death of a California store owner, who was killed following an argument over a Pride flag at her business, sent shockwaves across the US.

Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was killed after the gunman reportedly took issue with a large LGBTQ+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police.

The shooter, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently shot dead by law enforcement.

In her own Instagram tribute, Curtis wrote: “My hand in yours @alokvmenon.”

“I feel deeply saddened by this,” the caption continued. “This is our country now and we can’t look away. Rest in peace Laura Ann Carleton, a mother of nine. Thank you for your allyship. Thank you for your love. I’ll never forget you.”

More here.

Jamie Lee Curtis speaks out after shooting death of shop owner over Pride flag

Laura Carleton committed to ‘changing the narrative around LGBTQIA+ rights’

03:30 , Bevan Hurley

Californian Democratic House candidate Derek Marshall has paid tribute to slain shop owner Laura ‘Lauri’ Carleton as a fierce LGBTQ+ ally.

Mr Marshall, who is running for California’s 23rd district, wrote that he had been a guest on Carleton’s boat for Lake Arrowhead’s Pride Boat Parade in June.

He described her as “witty, funny” and someone who had “that special energy that can move mountains”.

“A while back, we discussed the the blowback she received for flying the pride flag. She was committed to visibility as a part of changing the narrative around LGBTQIA+ rights and acceptance. She will be sorely missed, but certainly not forgotten.”

Hollywood reacts to shooting of Laura Carleton

02:30 , Bevan Hurley

Hollywood stars have been speaking out over the deadly shooting of Laura Carleton.

Director Paul Feig paid tribute to his “wonderful friend” on social media after she was killed by an unnamed gunman over the weekend.

Several of his celebrity friends also reacted to her killing in the comments under his post.

Hollywood star Charlize Theron said Carleton’s death was “heartbreaking”, while The Office star Kate Flannery wrote: “Paul! I’m so sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry for the state of the world.”

“Truly heartbreaking,” wrote One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. US actor Timothy Omundson wrote: “It is so horrific that an expression of love and support for a marginalised community, should lead to such radicalized hatred and violence every shop in Arrowhead village should hang a pride flag to honor this brave wife and mother.”

When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder

01:30 , Bevan Hurley

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.

Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City.

And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community.

This weekend, it happened once again.

Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street.

Faiza Saqib reports.

Laura Carleton: What we know about the Pride flag shopkeeper’s killing

Travis Ikeguchi named as man who killed Laura Carleton

01:17 , Phil Thomas

A gunman who killed California shop owner Laura "Lauri" Carleton after making "disparaging remarks" about her LGBTQ+ flag has been named by authorities.

Travis Ikeguchi, 27, shot the 66-year-old mother-of-nine dead outside of her Mag.Pi store in Cedar Glen, 83 miles east of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Monday.

Deputies found Carleton outside the store suffering from a single gunshot wound at 5pm (PT) on Friday. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical responders.

The suspect was located nearby near Torrey Rd and Rause Rancho Rd armed with a handgun, and was shot dead by deputies.

Bevan Hurley has the full story:

Man who killed Laura Carleton over Pride flag is identified as Travis Ikeguchi

Protest against killing of LGBTQ ally Laura Carleton

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:30 , Bevan Hurley

Diane Anderson-Minshall, author and editor-in-chief of Go Magazine, called on the “rational world” to view the “extreme right hysteria” against the LGBTQ+ community following the death of Laura Carleton, who was a cisgender ally.

“Yesterday, I read the headline, ‘shop owner killed over rainbow flag’ and shook my head. Today, I realized that it was Laura, who I knew back when she was with Calvin Klein, and it was in liberal California,” she wrote on Facebook.

“The world of LGBTQ people and our allies sometimes feels very small in that at least for me we often know each other in some capacity. Laura, like all victims, should not just be another headline we ignore.

“The fact that even presumably straight cisgender allies are killed for supporting LGBTQ people and cisgender people are being killed as they’ve been mistaken as being trans, I have to hope that the rational world begins to see this eradication campaign and extreme right hysteria for what it is before it’s too late.”

‘This is our country now’

Monday 21 August 2023 23:30 , Bevan Hurley

Writer Alok Vaid-Menon has paid tribute to Laura Carleton, who authorities say was shot dead during an argument about a Pride flag hanging outside her California clothing store.

“I feel deeply saddened by this,” they wrote in an Instagram post.

“This is our country now and we can’t look away. Rest in peace Laura Ann Carleton, a mother of nine. Thank you for your allyship. Thank you for your love. I’ll never forget you.”

Jamie Lee Curtis showed her support for Vaid-Menom, writing: “My hand in yours.”

Gavin Newsom: ‘This is absolutely horrific’

Monday 21 August 2023 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

California Governor Gavin Newsom has described the killing of clothing store owner Laura Carleton as “absolutely horrific”.

The 66-year-old mother of nine was shot dead outside her Lake Arrowhead store during an argument over a Pride flag, authorities say.

In a social media post on Sunday night, Mr Newsom wrote: “This is absolutely horrific.

“A shop owner has been shot and killed by a man after he criticized the pride flag hanging outside her business.

“Lauri leaves behind her husband and 9 children. This disgusting hate has no place in CA.”

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

Monday 21 August 2023 22:30 , Bevan Hurley

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Independent Voices:

“It was only a matter of time.”

That was my first thought upon hearing of the callous and hateful murder of Laura Carleton, the owner of Mag Pi Clothing in Cedar Glen, California. A straight woman, Carleton was fatally shot by a man who confronted her over an LGBTQ+ Pride flag which was displayed at her shop. Her assailant was later killed by police.

This was not the first time someone had taken issue with Carleton’s Pride flag. As The Independent has previously reported, friends of Carleton say that the flag has been ripped down multiple times. Every time, she simply replaced the flag with another, refusing to cave in to the hateful bigots who vandalized her shop.

The inevitability of something like this happening was apparent to anyone paying attention.

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

‘She wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible'

Monday 21 August 2023 22:00 , Bevan Hurley

Laura “Lauri” Carlton was a “dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur” and a co-founder of the Mountain Provisions Cooperative in Lake Arrowhead in California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

“Lauri was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice,” the cooperative wrote on Facebook.

“If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain.”

When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder

Monday 21 August 2023 21:30 , Bevan Hurley

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.

Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City.

And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community.

This weekend, it happened once again.

Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street.

Faiza Saqib reports.

Laura Carleton: What we know about the Pride flag shopkeeper’s killing

Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

Monday 21 August 2023 21:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ari and Kelsey Carleton, two of the shop owner’s nine children, wrote on Instagram that their “beautiful mommy” had been taken in a “senseless act of violence”.

“She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime,” the daughters wrote.

“Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch.”

Carleton opened her first Mag.Pi clothing store in Studio City, Los Angeles, in 2013, selling ethically sourced clothing including some of Carleton’s designs.

Ari and Kelsey Carleton said that in the two years since her mother opened her second Cedar Glen, vandals had on several occasions ripped down Pride flags hanging outside.

Each time, her mother would replace them with bigger ones, they said.

Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

Monday 21 August 2023 20:30 , Bevan Hurley

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Independent Voices: “It was only a matter of time.”

That was my first thought upon hearing of the callous and hateful murder of Laura Carleton, the owner of Mag Pi Clothing in Cedar Glen, California. A straight woman, Carleton was fatally shot by a man who confronted her over an LGBTQ+ Pride flag which was displayed at her shop. Her assailant was later killed by police.

This was not the first time someone had taken issue with Carleton’s Pride flag. As The Independent has previously reported, friends of Carleton say that the flag has been ripped down multiple times. Every time, she simply replaced the flag with another, refusing to cave in to the hateful bigots who vandalized her shop.

The inevitability of something like this happening was apparent to anyone paying attention. 

A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention

Director Paul Feig leads tributes for Laura Carleton

Monday 21 August 2023 20:10 , Bevan Hurley

Ghostbusters director Paul Feig has lead tributes to slain California store owner Laura ‘Lauri’ Carleton.

In a moving social media post, Mr Feig wrote that his “wonderful friend” had been murdered by a 27-year-old man simply for flying an LGBTQ+ flag from her Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead.

“He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her,” Mr Feig wrote on Instagram.

“Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community. But this intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people.”

Mr Feig’s posts received messages of support from Charlize Theron and Mark Hamill.

Mourners donate $1800 to Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ charity

Monday 21 August 2023 19:50 , Bevan Hurley

Grieving residents of Lake Arrowhead, California, have donated $1800 to a local LGBTQ+ charity to honour slain shop owner Laura Carleton.

Carleton, 66, was shot dead outside her Mag.PI store on Friday during an argument over a Pride flag, authorities say.

The Lakehouse Collection, a local home furnishings store, said in an Instagram post on Sunday it had received $1800 in donations from mourners which would be passed on to the Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ charity.

“She would be humbled by the Love for her this community has shown. Lauri we Love you…. You will not be forgotten,” the store wrote.

It said a candlelit vigil would be held at Mag.Pi on Tuesday, once Tropical Storm Hilary had passed.

When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder

Monday 21 August 2023 19:30 , Bevan Hurley

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.

Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City.

And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community.

This weekend, it happened once again.

Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street.

Faiza Saqib reports.

Laura Carleton: What we know about the Pride flag shopkeeper’s killing

Laura Carleton committed to ‘changing the narrative around LGBTQIA+ rights’

Monday 21 August 2023 19:10 , Bevan Hurley

Californian Democratic House candidate Derek Marshall has paid tribute to slain shop owner Laura ‘Lauri’ Carleton as a fierce LGBTQ+ ally.

Mr Marshall, who is running for California’s 23rd district, wrote that he had been a guest on Carleton’s boat for Lake Arrowhead’s Pride Boat Parade in June.

He described her as “witty, funny” and someone who had “that special energy that can move mountains”.

“A while back, we discussed the the blowback she received for flying the pride flag. She was committed to visibility as a part of changing the narrative around LGBTQIA+ rights and acceptance. She will be sorely missed, but certainly not forgotten.”

Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

Monday 21 August 2023 18:50 , Bevan Hurley

A California clothing store owner who was shot dead during an argument over a Pride flag was described as “fearless, cool and compassionate” in a moving tribute by two of her daughters.

Ari and Kelsey Carleton, two of the shop owner’s nine children, wrote on Instagram that their “beautiful mommy” had been taken in a “senseless act of violence”.

“She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime,” the daughters wrote.

“Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch.”

Carleton opened her first Mag.Pi clothing store in Studio City, Los Angeles, in 2013, selling ethically sourced clothing including some of Carleton’s designs.

Ari and Kelsey Carleton said that in the two years since her mother opened her second Cedar Glen, vandals had on several occasions ripped down Pride flags hanging outside.

Each time, her mother would replace them with bigger ones, they said.

Mourners donate $1800 to Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ charity

Monday 21 August 2023 18:30 , Bevan Hurley

Grieving residents of Lake Arrowhead, California, have donated $1800 to a local LGBTQ+ charity to honour slain shop owner Laura Carleton.

Carleton, 66, was shot dead outside her Mag.PI store on Friday during an argument over a Pride flag, authorities say.

The Lakehouse Collection, a local home furnishings store, said in an Instagram post on Sunday it had received $1800 in donations from mourners which would be passed on to the Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ charity.

“She would be humbled by the Love for her this community has shown. Lauri we Love you…. You will not be forgotten,” the store wrote.

It said a candlelit vigil would be held at Mag.Pi on Tuesday, once Tropical Storm Hilary had passed.

Protest against killing of LGBTQ ally Laura Carleton

Monday 21 August 2023 18:00 , Bevan Hurley

Diane Anderson-Minshall, author and editor-in-chief of Go Magazine, called on the “rational world” to view the “extreme right hysteria” against the LGBTQ+ community following the death of Laura Carleton, who was a cisgender ally.

“Yesterday, I read the headline, ‘shop owner killed over rainbow flag’ and shook my head. Today, I realized that it was Laura, who I knew back when she was with Calvin Klein, and it was in liberal California,” she wrote on Facebook.

“The world of LGBTQ people and our allies sometimes feels very small in that at least for me we often know each other in some capacity. Laura, like all victims, should not just be another headline we ignore.

“The fact that even presumably straight cisgender allies are killed for supporting LGBTQ people and cisgender people are being killed as they’ve been mistaken as being trans, I have to hope that the rational world begins to see this eradication campaign and extreme right hysteria for what it is before it’s too late.”

Daughter describes store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

Monday 21 August 2023 17:30 , Bevan Hurley

Ari Carleton, one of Laura Carleton’s nine children, told the New York Times her mother had always taught “love, acceptance and equality”.

She was “fearless” and had always put other people’s needs before her own, Ari Carleton told the Times.

Since Ms Carleton opened Mag.Pi two years ago, the rainbow flag hanging outside the store had been removed several times, Ari told the publication.

The store sold ethically sourced clothing and included some of Carleton’s designs, her daughter told the Times.

In February, when a winter blizzard dumped up to four feet of snow on the San Bernardino Mountains, Ms Carleton turned her store into an emergency relief center and handed out supplies to local residents with her husband Bort.

“That really sums up who she was as a person,” Ari Carleton said.

Daughter describes store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder

Monday 21 August 2023 17:00 , Bevan Hurley

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.

Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City.

And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community.

This weekend, it happened once again.

Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street.

Faiza Saqib reports.

Laura Carleton: What we know about the Pride flag shopkeeper’s killing

Gavin Newsom: ‘This is absolutely horrific’

Monday 21 August 2023 16:30 , Bevan Hurley

California Governor Gavin Newsom has described the killing of clothing store owner Laura Carleton as “absolutely horrific”.

The 66-year-old mother of nine was shot dead outside her Lake Arrowhead store during an argument over a Pride flag, authorities say.

In a social media post on Sunday night, Mr Newsom wrote: “This is absolutely horrific.

“A shop owner has been shot and killed by a man after he criticized the pride flag hanging outside her business.

“Lauri leaves behind her husband and 9 children. This disgusting hate has no place in CA.”

Laura Carleton turned her clothing store into emergency relief centre after blizzards

Monday 21 August 2023 16:00 , Bevan Hurley

Laura Carleton and husband Bort converted their Mag.Pi clothing store into an emergency relief centre after blizzards dumped up to four feet of snow in the San Bernardino Mountains in February.

Carleton, who was shot dead outside the Lake Arrowhead store during an argument over a Pride flag on Friday, was “an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice”, the Mountain Provisions Cooperative wrote in a Facebook post.

“Lauri and her husband Bort were pivotal in organizing our Free Store which provided free food and supplies for 4 months after the blizzard. Lauri put her whole heart into keeping it going as long as we could,” the coop wrote.

“If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain.”

Carleton was a founding member of the cooperative.

‘This is our country now'

Monday 21 August 2023 15:30 , Bevan Hurley

Writer Alok Vaid-Menon has paid tribute to Laura Carleton, who authorities say was shot dead during an argument about a Pride flag hanging outside her California clothing store.

“I feel deeply saddened by this,” they wrote in an Instagram post.

“This is our country now and we can’t look away. Rest in peace Laura Ann Carleton, a mother of nine. Thank you for your allyship. Thank you for your love. I’ll never forget you.”

California store owner shot dead after argument about Pride flag

Monday 21 August 2023 15:00 , Bevan Hurley

A California business owner and a “true ally” was shot to death by a suspect who complained about an LGBTQ flag hanging at the store.

The unnamed individual killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her business Mag Pi clothing store after making “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store”, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies responded to the incident around 5pm on Friday following reports of shots being fired. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Andrea Blanco reports.

California store owner shot dead over Pride flag outside her shop

Protest against killing of LGBTQ ally Laura Carleton

Monday 21 August 2023 14:30 , Bevan Hurley

Diane Anderson-Minshall, author and editor-in-chief of Go Magazine, called on the “rational world” to view the “extreme right hysteria” against the LGBTQ+ community following the death of Laura Carleton, who was a cisgender ally.

“Yesterday, I read the headline, ‘shop owner killed over rainbow flag’ and shook my head. Today, I realized that it was Laura, who I knew back when she was with Calvin Klein, and it was in liberal California,” she wrote on Facebook.

“The world of LGBTQ people and our allies sometimes feels very small in that at least for me we often know each other in some capacity. Laura, like all victims, should not just be another headline we ignore.

“The fact that even presumably straight cisgender allies are killed for supporting LGBTQ people and cisgender people are being killed as they’ve been mistaken as being trans, I have to hope that the rational world begins to see this eradication campaign and extreme right hysteria for what it is before it’s too late.”

Hollywood reacts to shooting of Laura Carleton

Monday 21 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Many Hollywood stars have reacted to the deadly shooting of Laura Carleton.

Paul Feig paid tribute to his “wonderful friend” on social media after she was killed by an unnamed gunman over the weekend.

Several of his celebrity friends also reacted to her killing in the comments under his post.

Hollywood star Charlize Theron said Carleton’s death was “heartbreaking”, while The Office star Kate Flannery wrote: “Paul! I’m so sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry for the state of the world.”

“Truly heartbreaking,” wrote One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. US actor Timothy Omundson wrote: “It is so horrific that an expression of love and support for a marginalised community, should lead to such radicalized hatred and violence every shop in Arrowhead village should hang a pride flag to honor this brave wife and mother.”

Broad City star calls Laura Ann Carleton’s death ‘devastating and infuriating'

Monday 21 August 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Broad City star Abbi Jacobson has called the shooting of Laura Ann Carleton “devastating and infuriating” as the community reacts to her death.

Carleton was killed after a gunman took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police.

Several members of the California community have paid tribute to Carleton and condemned her senseless killing.

Comedian Ms Jacobson commented on an Instagram post left by comedian Bridget Everet.

“This is devastating and infuriating,” wrote Ms Jacobson.

Rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crime across US

Monday 21 August 2023 12:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

There has been a steep rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crimes across the United States, according to a report released by advocacy group GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League.

At least 145 incidents of anti-LGBT+ hate and extremism nationwide were recorded during Pride month this year alone, including the murder of a woman at a gas station in Texas by a stranger who had allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs, the report highlighted.

A Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Texas was set on fire just weeks after it was reportedly featured in an anti-LGBT+ video.

In November 2022, an Oklahoma donut shop was firebombed after the business hosted an art show featuring drag queens.

Comedian Bridget Everett reacts to Lauri Carleton’s murder: ‘For what?'

Monday 21 August 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Comedian Bridget Everett took to Instagram to condemn Lauri Carleton’s murder.

“Lauri Carleton was shot and killed at her Lake Arrowhead store this weekend. Someone tore down the Pride flag she flew outside of her store, Magpi,” she wrote.

“She confronted him and he shot her. In the past, when someone took down her flag or vandalized it, she’d put up another one. The last time I saw Lauri was, oddly enough, at Lake Arrowhead pride both in the parade and then at a party.

“All that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has a price. And now, Lauri’s husband Bort, her daughters, friends and community are devastated. And for what?”

‘This intolerance has to end’: Paul Feig grieves for ‘wonderful friend’ shot dead in row over Pride flag

Monday 21 August 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Paul Feig has shared a message after a friend of his was shot dead ouside her clothing shop in Cedar Glen, California.

Laura Ann Carleton, 66, who was married with nine children, was killed after the gunman reportedly took issue with a large LGBT+ Pride flag that was hanging outside her shop, according to police.

The alleged shooter, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently shot dead by law enforcement.

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Paul Feig grieves for ‘wonderful friend’ shot dead in row over Pride flag

‘Pride flag removed numerous times by different people’, says daughter

Monday 21 August 2023 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

One of Laura Carleton’s daughters described her as a “fearless” person who put the needs of others ahead of her own.

Carleton had been a pillar in the community, said 28-year-old Ari Carleton, according to the New York Times.

The mother-of-nine converted her shop into a relief centre when a rare blizzard struck the area this year, the daughter said.

“She opened up a free shop where she and my dad just gave out supplies to those in need who had been impacted by the storms,” she said, adding: “That really sums up who she was as a person.”

The Pride flag hanging outside Carleton’s Mag.Pi store was removed numerous times by different people since the business opened two years ago, Ari Carleton said.

Carleton was an ‘ally through and through’

Monday 21 August 2023 10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Democratic congressional candidate Derek Marshall said Laura Carleton was a huge supporter of the LGBT+ community and a “class act”, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He said people within the community described Carleton as “kind” and almost like a “second mom” to them. “She was very proud of flying the Pride flag.”

Los Angeles councilperson Nithya Raman expressed shock at her killing, saying she was “devastated” over the “violent attack against Studio City resident and beloved small business owner Lauri Carleton”.

“She was an ally through and through, proudly living by her values,” Ms Raman said in a statement.

“From uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community, to championing ethical fashion practices, from fundraising for the Women’s March Foundation, to supporting survivors of sexual assault, Lauri lived her life unapologetically advocating for a better, more accepting world.”

Ghostbusters director pays tribute to his ‘wonderful friend'

Monday 21 August 2023 22:15 , Bevan Hurley

Director Paul Feig was one of several Hollywood stars to pay tribute to Laura Carleton, who was shot dead outside her Cedar Glen store on Friday.

“Our wonderful friend Lauri Carlton (seen in this picture) was murdered yesterday in her store @magpi_shop in Lake Arrowhead by a 27 year old man who didn’t like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop,” Mr Feig wrote on Instagram.

“He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her.

“We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally.

“Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community. But this intolerance has to end.

“Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Let’s all keep moving forward with tolerance and love.

“Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain.”

Protest against killing of LGBTQ ally Laura Carleton

Monday 21 August 2023 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Diane Anderson-Minshall, author and editor-in-chief of Go Magazine, called on the “rational world” to view the “extreme right hysteria” against the LGBTQ+ community following the death of Laura Carleton, who was a cisgender ally.

“Yesterday, I read the headline, ‘shop owner killed over rainbow flag’ and shook my head. Today, I realized that it was Laura, who I knew back when she was with Calvin Klein, and it was in liberal California,” she wrote on Facebook.

“The world of LGBTQ people and our allies sometimes feels very small in that at least for me we often know each other in some capacity. Laura, like all victims, should not just be another headline we ignore.

“The fact that even presumably straight cisgender allies are killed for supporting LGBTQ people and cisgender people are being killed as they’ve been mistaken as being trans, I have to hope that the rational world begins to see this eradication campaign and extreme right hysteria for what it is before it’s too late.”

‘Carleton was murdered defending her LGBTQ+ Pride flags’, says Lake Arrowhead community

Monday 21 August 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community said that Carleton didn’t identify as a member of the community but was defending the Pride flags placed in front her shop on Friday.

“Lauri’s unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community and her dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space within her shop touched the lives of many,” the group said in a statement.

“Her untimely passing in a senseless act of violence has left us all deeply saddened.”

Carleton life was full of fashion and travel

Monday 21 August 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Laura Carleton began her career in fashion when she was just a teenager, according to her business website.

She joined Kenneth Cole almost from its inception and remained there for over 15 years as an executive and spent most of her days traveling with design teams in Italy and Spain.

She traveled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fueled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things.

Monday 21 August 2023 05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Friends, colleagues and community members paid tribute to Laura Ann Carleton over the weekend and mourned the loss of a "remarkable person".

They brought flowers, flags and banners to the Lake Arrowhead store to honour her life.