Lauri Carleton, 66, the owner of Mag Pi shop in Cedar Glen, California, was shot dead after a dispute over a Pride flag displayed outside her business.

The suspect ripped down the shop’s pride flag before shooting and killing the woman on Friday. After fleeing the crime scene on foot, the suspect was killed by police when located nearby, allegedly still armed.

According to the police, the suspect made “disparaging remarks” about the flag before shooting the victim, who died on the scene. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said, “a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased”.

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San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called the incident a “senseless act of hate and violence.”

Who was Lauri Carleton?

Carleton was described as a “wonderful friend” by Hollywood director Paul Feig. Feig posted an image of them together in an Instagram post, he said he was “devastated” for Carleton’s family and the LGBTQ+ community, “for whom Lauri was such a true ally”.

“This intolerance has to end,” he wrote. “Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people.”

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She was a mother of nine.

Lake Arrowhead LGBT, which is a local group said condemned the incident as a “very sad day” for the area, calling Carleton, a “friend and supporter”, would be “truly missed”.

She was “murdered defending her LGBTQ+ Pride flags in front of her store”, the group wrote in its own Instagram post. “Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+, but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community.”