SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — A California business owner, Laura Ann Carleton, was tragically killed in her clothing store, Mag Pi, after a disagreement over a gay Pride flag that hung outside her store. Carleton, aged 66, was shot and later pronounced dead at the store following the incident on Friday evening around 5 p.m.
According to San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified suspect reportedly made several derogatory comments about the rainbow flag outside the store before shooting Carleton. The suspect fled the scene on foot, but authorities managed to track him down that same day. In a subsequent encounter with deputies, the suspect was killed in a “lethal force encounter,” as described by the sheriff’s office.
Fortunately, no deputies were harmed during the incident.