‘DISGUSTING HATE’

Suspect ID’d in Fatal Shooting of California Store Owner Over Pride Flag

A 27-year-old man shot Laura Ann Carleton after yelling “many homophobic slurs” about her store’s Pride flag on Friday, police said.

A 27-year-old man who fatally shot a store owner in Lake Arrowhead, California on Friday did so after ripping down a Pride flag outside her storefront and yelling “many homophobic slurs” at her, according to authorities. The suspect was named as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, by San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus on Monday afternoon. He did not elaborate on a possible motive, nor whether the incident is being investigated as a hate crime. After shooting Laura Ann Carleton, 66, Ikeguchi fled on foot and was killed in a “lethal force encounter” with California sheriff’s deputies about a mile away. Ikeguchi had opened fire on deputies, striking several police cars, according to Dicus, though no law enforcement officers were hurt. Sheriff’s officials said Ikeguchi, a Cedar Glen resident, frequently posted hateful content on social media. A June tweet from a X account that appeared to be his included a Pride flag on fire and the caption: “What to do with the LGBTQP flag?” In a tweet, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the murder “absolutely horrific,” adding, “This disgusting hate has no place in CA.”