Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Family say Travis Ikeguchi is ‘irrelevant’ as anti-LGBT+ history is revealed
The daughter of slain California businesswoman Laura “Lauri” Ann Carleton says the man who shot and killed her mother is “irrelevant”.
Officials named 27-year-old California man Travis Ikeguchi as the suspect who shot and killed Carleton after making homophobic remarks about a Pride flag hanging outside her Mag.Pi fashion store in Cedar Glen on Friday.
Ikeguchi, who was later shot and killed by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies, had made bigoted comments criticising the LGBT+ community and law enforcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the far-right platform Gab.
In a statement to NBC News, Ari Carleton said the family “doesn’t care” about the suspect.
“We will continue to steer the narrative away from him and towards my mother and honouring her. He is irrelevant,” Ms Carelton said.
“The media must stop glorifying these individuals by giving them this platform.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the homicide as a potential hate crime.
Carleton’s senseless murder has since led to an outpouring of grief and anger from her children and family members, Hollywood stars and the LGBT+ community members who have warned that her killing is a marker of the anti-LGBT+ hate currently being spread across the US.
Key Points
Travis Ikeguchi’s anti-LGBT+ online posts revealed
Police name man who killed California storeowner over Pride flag
Gunman tore down Pride flag and shouted homophobic slurs
Hollywood director Paul Feig remembers ‘wonderful friend’ Laura Carleton
Gavin Newsom: ‘This is absolutely horrific’
Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’
04:00 , 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
03:00 , 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
Lauri Carleton was ‘bullied’ for her support of the LGBTQ+ community
02:00 , Bevan Hurley
Laura “Lauri” Carleton endured verbal harassment for her support of the LGBTQ+ community in the scenic Californian community of Lake Arrowhead, according to a close friend.
Robin Lyles told the Los Angeles LGBT Center that the town of Cedar Glen, where Carleton was shot dead during an argument over a rainbow flag, was generally acceptant of diversity, but had a “vocal” conservative contingent.
“She would get bullied all the time by people at the local restaurants or people walking around,” Ms Lyles said.
“But she wouldn’t take it, Lauri would always challenge them and be in someone’s face. She wasn’t going to let anyone bully her,” Ms Lyles, who owns the Lake House Collection store in Lake Arrowhead, told the website.
Authorities say Carleton, 66, was shot dead by Travis Ikeguchi on Friday in a dispute over a Pride flag hung from her Mag.Pi fashion store.
Laura Carleton’s death and the growing ‘epidemic of hate’ against LGBT+ people in the US
01:30 , Bevan Hurley
A mother-of-nine who proudly displayed a Pride flag outside her California store. A gay man who danced to a Beyoncé song in Brooklyn. Five patrons killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado.
All were appalling attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in recent months. From the disruption of drag show story hours to threats against retail employees for selling Pride merchandise, the rising threat of violence is terrifying, but unfortunately unsurprising, Sarah Moore, an Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism Analyst, told The Independent.
Andrea Cavallier reports.
Laura Carleton’s death and the growing ‘epidemic of hate’ against LGBT+ people
Paul Feig shuts down ‘absolutely false’ rumour about Lauri Carleton shooting
01:00 , Bevan Hurley
Hollywood director Paul Feig has spoken out about an “absolutely false” rumour spreading on social media about his friend Lauri Carleton’s murder.
Prior to authorities naming Travis Ikeguchi as the gunman, social media was rampant with bogus claims that the victim’s brother was involved.
On Monday, Mr Feig took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to shut down the claims.
“I can’t believe I actually have to address this but this is absolutely false. Totally and absolutely. The police for some reason still haven’t released the identity of the shooter but he was of no relation to Lauri. Zero. Gang, we all have to calm the rhetoric down. All of us.”
I can’t believe I actually have to address this but this is absolutely false. Totally and absolutely. The police for some reason still haven’t released the identity of the shooter but he was of no relation to Lauri. Zero. Gang, we all have to calm the rhetoric down. All of us. https://t.co/EdCi0A4VUe
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) August 21, 2023
Travis Ikeguchi spewed anti-LGBT+ hate online. Then he murdered Laura Carleton over a Pride flag
Wednesday 23 August 2023 00:30 , Bevan Hurley
Travis Ikeguchi had been spewing anti-LGBT+ content on social media for quite some time.
Behind his keyboard, the 27-year-old California man was posting images of burning Pride flags and lashing out at the LGBT+ community as well as law enforcement.
Then, he came out from behind his online persona and murdered a mother-of-nine fashion entrepreneur over the Pride flag she had dared to hang outside her own store.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:
Man who murdered Laura Carleton over Pride flag spewed anti-LGBT+ hate online
Anti-LGBTQ+ hatred is ‘out of control’
Wednesday 23 August 2023 00:00 , Bevan Hurley
Anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence is “out of control” in the United States, according to Wendy Via, co-founder of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.
“Yet again, anti-LGBTQ+ hate turned to violence, and an innocent woman tragically lost her life,” Ms Via said in a statement.
“Now, an entire community is not only reeling from the tragic death, but LGBTQ+ people and their allies everywhere are once again reminded in the worst possible way of the very real threat of hate and violence they face every day.”
Ms Via said that efforts to demonise and intimidate the LGBTQ+ community had increased globally in the past year.
“It would be naive to separate these violent attacks from the anti-LGBTQ+ efforts of some politicians and far-right organisations,” she said.
“As we’ve said before, the relentless dehumanization and demonization of LGBTQ+ people by far-right politicians, extremist religious leaders, and hateful ideology adherents — often spread online — will continue to result in violence if this rhetoric and push for irrational, hateful, and rights-restricting legislation isn’t stopped.”
Lauri Carelton’s daughter says murder suspect is ‘irrelevant’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 23:30 , Bevan Hurley
Ari Carleton, the daughter of slain Californian businesswoman Lauri Carleton, says the man who shot dead her mother is “irrelevant”.
Authorities have named Travis Ikeguchi as the gunman who shot Carleton outside of her Glen Cedar clothing store Mag.Pi last Friday after he made “disparaging” remarks about her Pride flag.
In a message to NBC News, Ari Carleton said the family “doesn’t care” about the suspect.
“We will continue to steer the narrative away from him and towards my mother and honouring her. He is irrelevant,” Ms Carelton said.
“The media must stop glorifying these individuals by giving them this platform.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the homicide as a potential hate crime.
Who was Laura Ann Carleton?
Tuesday 22 August 2023 23:00 , Bevan Hurley
Laura Carleton, known as “Lauri” was 66 years old and was the owner of a clothing store called Mag.Pi, located in Cedar Glen, near San Bernadino in Southern California.
According to the official Mag.Pi store website, her love for fashion was sparked during her teenage years.
She started her career working in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles while attending the Art Center School of Design. She then made her way to Joseph Magnin Century City and began running the “top fashion” show floor.
Progressing in her fashion career, Carleton joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factory and design teams in Italy and Spain.
The designer travelled with her husband Bort across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture.
Carleton said Mag.Pi,strives to tackle “everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream.”
Faiza Saqib has the full story.
Mother, businesswoman and LGBTQ advocate: Who was Laura Ann Carleton?
Laura Carleton’s death and the growing ‘epidemic of hate’ against LGBT+ people in the US
Tuesday 22 August 2023 22:45 , Bevan Hurley
A mother-of-nine who proudly displayed a Pride flag outside her California store. A gay man who danced to a Beyoncé song in Brooklyn. Five patrons killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado.
All were appalling attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in recent months. From the disruption of drag show story hours to threats against retail employees for selling Pride merchandise, the rising threat of violence is terrifying, but unfortunately unsurprising, Sarah Moore, an Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism Analyst, told The Independent.
Andrea Cavallier reports.
Laura Carleton’s death and the growing ‘epidemic of hate’ against LGBT+ people
Paul Feig leads celebrity reactions to ‘horrific’ shooting of California store owner over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 22:30 , Bevan Hurley
Paul Feig has shared a message after a friend of his was shot dead ouside her clothing shop in Cedar Glen, California.
“Our wonderful friend Lauri Carleton (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,” he wrote.
“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.”
He continued: “Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realise 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.”
Many of Feig’s celebrity friends and followers also paid tribute 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.”
Louis Chilton has the full story.
Jamie Lee Curtis speaks out after shooting death of shop owner over Pride flag
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 22:00 , Bevan Hurley
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department named Travis Ikeguchi as the homophobic gunman who killed Cedar Glen store owner Laura Carleton.
Ikeguchi, 27, had a history of anti-LGBT+ posts, anti-police content along with conspiracy theories on social media, authorities said.
Accounts on X and Gab under Ikeguchi’s name, reviewed by The Independent, appear to match the hateful posts referred to by authorities.
In one post, dated 13 June and pinned to the top of the X account, Ikeguchi appeared to post an image of a burning rainbow flag.
“What to do with the LGBTQP flag?” the chilling post was captioned.
In another post on 28 June, the user took aim at same-sex marriage and abortion.
“Abortion and same-sex marriage are both immoral and are design to destroy humanity one by one,” the tweet read.
Full story below.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Lauri Carleton was ‘bullied’ for her support of the LGBTQ+ community
Tuesday 22 August 2023 21:30 , Bevan Hurley
Laura “Lauri” Carleton endured verbal harassment for her support of the LGBTQ+ community in the scenic Californian community of Lake Arrowhead, according to a close friend.
Robin Lyles told the Los Angeles LGBT Center that the town of Cedar Glen, where Carleton was shot dead during an argument over a rainbow flag, was generally acceptant of diversity, but had a “vocal” conservative contingent.
“She would get bullied all the time by people at the local restaurants or people walking around,” Ms Lyles said.
“But she wouldn’t take it, Lauri would always challenge them and be in someone’s face. She wasn’t going to let anyone bully her,” Ms Lyles, who owns the Lake House Collection store in Lake Arrowhead, told the website.
Authorities say Carleton, 66, was shot dead by Travis Ikeguchi on Friday in a dispute over a Pride flag hung from her Mag.Pi fashion store.
A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention
Tuesday 22 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
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:58 , Bevan Hurley
A 27-year-old man was gunned down by the police after he killed a beloved store owner in California following a dispute over a Pride flag outside her clothing store.
The shooter, identified as Travis Ikeguchi, killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her clothing store “Mag Pi” at Hook Creek Road in Cedar Glen after he made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store”, authorities in San Bernardino County said.
Before fatally shooting Carleton, the suspect tore down the LGBTQ+ Pride flag that was hanging in front of the store and “yelled homophobic slurs” toward the woman.
Ikeguchi reportedly lived in Cedar Glen and frequently posted hate-filled content on social media, sheriff’s officials said.
He appeared to have social media accounts on Gab and Twitter, where a user with his name routinely posted anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion, and anti-police content along with conspiracy theories.
A pinned post on his purported account on X, previously known as Twitter, shows a Pride flag on fire.
Full story below.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
A mother whose LGBTQ advocacy cost her her life: Who was Laura Ann Carleton?
Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:30 , Bevan Hurley
Laura Ann Carleton, known as “Lauri” was 66 years old and was the owner of a clothing store called Mag.Pi, located in Cedar Glen, near San Bernardino in Southern California.
According to the official Mag.Pi store website, her love for fashion was sparked during her teenage years.
She started her career working in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles while attending the Art Center School of Design. She then made her way to Joseph Magnin Century City and began running the “top fashion” show floor.
Progressing in her fashion career, Carleton joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factory and design teams in Italy and Spain.
The designer travelled with her husband Bort across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture.
Carleton said Mag.Pi,strives to tackle “everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream.”
Faiza Saqib has the full story.
Mother, businesswoman and LGBTQ advocate: Who was Laura Ann Carleton?
Lauri Carelton’s daughter says murder suspect is ‘irrelevant’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:00 , Bevan Hurley
Ari Carleton, the daughter of slain Californian businesswoman Lauri Carleton, says the man who shot dead her mother is “irrelevant”.
Authorities have named Travis Ikeguchi as the gunman who shot Carleton outside of her Glen Cedar clothing store Mag.Pi last Friday after he made “disparaging” remarks about her Pride flag.
In a message to NBC News, Ari Carleton said the family “doesn’t care” about the suspect.
“We will continue to steer the narrative away from him and towards my mother and honouring her. He is irrelevant,” Ms Carelton said.
“The media must stop glorifying these individuals by giving them this platform.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the homicide as a potential hate crime.
Anti-LGBTQ+ hatred is ‘out of control'
Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:30 , Bevan Hurley
Anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence is “out of control” in the United States, according to Wendy Via, co-founder of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.
“Yet again, anti-LGBTQ+ hate turned to violence, and an innocent woman tragically lost her life,” Ms Via said in a statement.
“Now, an entire community is not only reeling from the tragic death, but LGBTQ+ people and their allies everywhere are once again reminded in the worst possible way of the very real threat of hate and violence they face every day.”
Ms Via said that efforts to demonise and intimidate the LGBTQ+ community had increased globally in the past year.
“It would be naive to separate these violent attacks from the anti-LGBTQ+ efforts of some politicians and far-right organisations,” she said.
“As we’ve said before, the relentless dehumanization and demonization of LGBTQ+ people by far-right politicians, extremist religious leaders, and hateful ideology adherents — often spread online — will continue to result in violence if this rhetoric and push for irrational, hateful, and rights-restricting legislation isn’t stopped.”
'Our hearts are broken’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:00 , Bevan Hurley
Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of LGBTQ+ rights group GLAAD, said that the murder of Laura “Lauri” Carleton was an “horrific act of violence is not indicative of American values”.
In a statement, Ms Ellis said: “Our hearts are broken for Laura Ann (Lauri) Carleton, her community, and her loved ones.
“The tragic, targeted killing of Lauri over the Pride flag displayed at her Lake Arrowhead store was senseless and, unfortunately, part of a growing number of attacks on LGBTQ people and our allies. GLAAD and the ADL have tracked more than 350 anti-LGBTQ threats and attacks this year, coinciding with a disturbing increase in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation across the country.
“No one should feel unsafe or be attacked for who they are or for simply supporting the LGBTQ community. Lauri’s murder is the latest example of how anti-LGBTQ hatred hurts everyone, whether they are LGBTQ or not.
“We know a supermajority of Americans support LGBTQ people, and this horrific act of violence is not indicative of American values.”
‘She wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 17:30 , 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.”
When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder
Tuesday 22 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.
Community mourns loss of Laura Carleton who was killed for over a Pride flag
A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:37 , 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
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:10 , Bevan Hurley
A 27-year-old man was gunned down by the police after he killed a beloved store owner in California following a dispute over a Pride flag outside her clothing store.
The shooter, identified as Travis Ikeguchi, killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her clothing store “Mag Pi” at Hook Creek Road in Cedar Glen after he made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store”, authorities in San Bernardino County said.
Before fatally shooting Carleton, the suspect tore down the LGBTQ+ Pride flag that was hanging in front of the store and “yelled homophobic slurs” toward the woman.
Ikeguchi reportedly lived in Cedar Glen and frequently posted hate-filled content on social media, sheriff’s officials said.
He appeared to have social media accounts on Gab and Twitter, where a user with his name routinely posted anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion, and anti-police content along with conspiracy theories.
A pinned post on his purported account on X, previously known as Twitter, shows a Pride flag on fire.
Full story below.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Lauri Carleton was ‘bullied’ for her support of the LGBTQ+ community
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:07 , Bevan Hurley
Laura “Lauri” Carleton endured verbal harassment for her support of the LGBTQ+ community in the scenic Californian community of Lake Arrowhead, according to a close friend.
Robin Lyles told the Los Angeles LGBT Center that the town of Cedar Glen, where Carleton was shot dead during an argument over a rainbow flag, was generally acceptant of diversity, but had a “vocal” conservative contingent.
“She would get bullied all the time by people at the local restaurants or people walking around,” Ms Lyles said.
“But she wouldn’t take it, Lauri would always challenge them and be in someone’s face. She wasn’t going to let anyone bully her,” Ms Lyles, who owns the Lake House Collection store in Lake Arrowhead, told the website.
Authorities say Carleton, 66, was shot dead by Travis Ikeguchi on Friday in a dispute over a Pride flag hung from her Mag.Pi fashion store.
Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 15:36 , 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’
Shop owner ordered a new Pride flag that arrived after her death
Tuesday 22 August 2023 15:00 , Bevan Hurley
Laura Carleton had ordered a new Pride flag for her California store, which arrived the day she was killed in a suspected anti-LGBT+ hate crime.
Travis Ikeguchi, 27, killed Carleton, 66, 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.
Her daughter, Ari Carleton, told CNN that they found a parcel containing the new Pride flag on the doorstep after the family returned home on Friday following the incident.
“It was a new flag that she had told my dad that she ordered it. Because the one hanging naturally faded from the sun,” the daughter said.
Laura Carleton’s killer’s anti-LGBT+ posts revealed
Tuesday 22 August 2023 14:33 , Bevan Hurley
Travis Ikeguchi had been spewing anti-LGBTQ+ content on social media for quite some time.
Behind his keyboard, the 27-year-old California man was posting images of burning Pride flags and lashing out at the LGBT+ community as well as law enforcement.
Then, he came out from behind his online persona and murdered a mother-of-nine fashion entrepreneur over the Pride flag she had dared to hang outside her own store, according to authorities.
Rachel Sharp has the details.
Man who murdered Laura Carleton over Pride flag spewed anti-LGBT+ hate online
Kenneth Cole pays tribute to former employee shot to death over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Fashion designer Kenneth Cole has lamented the death of Laura Ann Carleton, his longtime former executive who was shot dead for displaying a Pride flag at her clothing store.
Carleton, 66, who went on to become an independent business owner after a 15-year stint with Kenneth Kole Productions, was shot dead on 18 August at her clothing outlet in Lake Arrowhead, California.
“An unnecessary and tragic death to a long-time KCP assoc [associate] and friend,” he said on X, formerly Twitter, and added a hashtag demanding gun reforms in the US.
Shweta Sharma reports.
Kenneth Cole pays tribute to former employee shot to death over Pride flag
When people ripped her store’s Pride flag, Laura Carleton hung up another. This time it ended with her murder
Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:30 , 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 spewed anti-LGBT+ hate online. Then he murdered Laura Carleton over a Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:57 , Rachel Sharp
Travis Ikeguchi had been spewing anti-LGBT+ content on social media for quite some time.
Behind his keyboard, the 27-year-old California man was posting images of burning Pride flags and lashing out at the LGBT+ community as well as law enforcement.
Then, he came out from behind his online persona and murdered a mother-of-nine fashion entrepreneur over the Pride flag she had dared to hang outside her own store.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:
Man who murdered Laura Carleton over Pride flag spewed anti-LGBT+ hate online
Comedian Bridget Everett reacts to Lauri Carleton’s murder: ‘For what?’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:30 , Bevan Hurley
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?”
Shop owner ordered a new Pride flag that arrived after her death
Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Laura Carleton had ordered a new Pride flag for her California store, which arrived the day she was killed in a suspected anti-LGBT+ hate crime.
Travis Ikeguchi, 27, killed Carleton, 66, 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.
Her daughter, Ari Carleton, told CNN that they found a parcel containing the new Pride flag on the doorstep after the family returned home on Friday following the incident.
“... It was a new flag that she had told my dad that she ordered it. Because the one hanging naturally faded from the sun,” the daughter said.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over a Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:30 , Bevan Hurley
A 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 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.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over a Pride flag
Carleton helped woman ‘buy a bigger sign’ after they were stolen in 2019
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A close friend of Laura Carleton said she reconnected with the mother-of-nine in 2019 after signs “Love is love” and another supporting then-presidential candidate Joe Biden were stolen from her house.
Carleton left an envelope filled with cash for the woman, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The letter alongside the cash in the envelope read: “Buy a bigger sign.”
Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 10:30 , 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’
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
Tuesday 22 August 2023 10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A 27-year-old man was gunned down by the police after he killed a beloved store owner in California following a dispute over a Pride flag outside her clothing store.
The shooter, identified as Travis Ikeguchi, killed 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton at her clothing store “Mag Pi” at Hook Creek Road in Cedar Glen after he made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store”, authorities in San Bernardino County said.
Before fatally shooting Carleton, the suspect tore down the LGBTQ+ Pride flag that was hanging in front of the store and “yelled homophobic slurs” toward the woman.
Ikeguchi reportedly lived in Cedar Glen and frequently posted hate-filled content on social media, sheriff’s officials said.
More here.
What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag
A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention
Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:30 , 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
California assembly member remembers Carleton
Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Laura Friedman, a member of the California assembly, remembered the 66-year-old store owner killed by a “hateful bigot with a gun” following an argument over a Pride flag.
“Hate and vitriol are dangerous tools of rhetoric. Laura Carleton did not believe in hate. She was a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community. Laura Carleton lost her life due to that support,” she wrote on Facebook.
“The rainbow flag that hung in her store window meant a lot to Laura and the local LGBTQ community. Her store was a bastion of safety, until it wasn’t.
“One hateful bigot with a gun ended the life of a woman famous for converting her store in times of need into a relief center where she and her father gave out free supplies to victims of storms and wildfires.
“According to everyone who knew Laura, she was a fierce community advocate with a bottomless well of love and caring. She cherished her community and believed in giving back. We are less for having lost her. May her memory be a blessing.”
Ghostbusters director pays tribute to his ‘wonderful friend’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:30 , 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.”
Rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crime across US
Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
There has been a steep rise in anti-LGBTQ+ 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-LGBTQ+ 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.
The organisations have tracked more than 350 anti-LGBTQ+ attacks across the country so far.“The tragic, targeted killing of Lauri over the pride flag displayed at her Lake Arrowhead store was senseless and, unfortunately, part of a growing number of attacks on LGBTQ people and our allies,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD.
A Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Texas was set on fire just weeks after it was reportedly featured in an anti-LGBTQ+ video.
In November 2022, an Oklahoma donut shop was firebombed after the business hosted an art show featuring drag queens.
