A shop owner in California was shot and killed while defending a pride flag hanging outside her store, KABC reported.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said Laura Ann Carleton,66, was killed by an unnamed suspect during a dispute over a Pride flag that was on display at her shop, Mag Pi clothing store, in Lake Arrowhead, California on Friday.
The sheriff’s department said the suspect “made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton.”
The suspect was located a few blocks away and was killed in a shootout with police.
“When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased,” the statement from the sheriff’s office read.
The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ organization condemned Carleton’s shooting in a post on Facebook and said even though she did not identify as member of the LGBTQ+ community Carleton “spent her time helping and advocating for everyone in the community.”
Carleton was a mother of nine and has been “married to the same man for 28 years,” according to the Mag.Pi store website.
