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.
The mother-of-nine and a “true LGBTQ+ ally” was pronounced dead on the spot.
Ikeguchi fled the crime scene on foot but was intercepted by deputies a mile from the store on Friday. The suspect opened fire with an unregistered Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, striking multiple squad cars, sheriff Shannon Dicus told reporters.
The deputies returned fire and shot Ikeguchi, who died at the scene, the sheriff added.
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.
The day before the shooting, Ikeguchi’s family had reported him missing to the sheriff’s department, officials said.
A makeshift memorial is seen outside the Mag.Pi clothing store— (AFP via Getty Images)
According to authorities, the semiautomatic handgun used by Ikeguchi was not registered to him, and he did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Meanwhile, tributes poured in for Carleton, who remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her store, Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up.
A resident leaves flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the Mag.Pi clothing store— (AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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”.
There was an outpouring of support on social media as well, with commenters expressing shock and sadness on the store’s accounts.
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.
“Her alleged murderer was later shot and killed by the San Bernardino police and so no longer poses a threat to the community,” Feig continued.
“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.”
The shooting comes about one month after the Anti-Defamation League and the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD released a report indicating a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ harassment, vandalism or assault in the United States.
“This is absolutely horrific. This disgusting hate has no place in CA,” California governor Gavin Newsom wrote in a social media post on Saturday.
