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The suspect in the murder of Laura Ann Carleton has been identified. The beloved California store owner was fatally shot last week after a confrontation over a Pride flag.
Travis Ikeguchi, 27, had made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton,” according to detectives.
According to authorities, San Bernardino County deputies responded to the shooting at Mag Pi clothing store, where they found owner Carleton, 66, with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said that Ikeguchi fled on foot and that deputies located the suspect armed with a handgun. According to officials, when “deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred” and Ikeguchi was pronounced dead.
Ikeguchi had posted anti-LGBTQ rants on social media platforms Gab and X, formerly known as Twitter, officials confirmed toRolling Stone.
“America must repent for a lot of things we allow; abortion/baby killing, sexual immortality, pornography, same-sex marriages, LGBTQP/pedophilia, freemasonry, religiosity, politics, wars, colonialism, the federal reserve,” read a Gabpostfrom Friday.
A pinnedposton X, showed a photo of the pride flag set on fire; another post from Juneread, “Abortion and same-sex marriage are both immoral and are design to destroy humanity one by one. So if someone is pro-abortion and pro-LGBTQP, they are at war against the foundation of family values.”
Following Carleton’s tragic death, many in the LGBTQ community remembered the her support and allyship, calling her a “pillar in our community,” includingLake Arrowhead LGBTQand local food co-op, Mountain Provision.
Director Paul Feig described Carleton as “a wonderful friend” in a tribute he shared on Instagram along with a photo of the two of them together. “This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against theLGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people,” Feig wrote. “Let’s all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain.”
