California store owner shot dead after alleged dispute over gay Pride flag: police

Suspect killed in 'lethal force encounter' with deputies, according to authorities

A California business owner was fatally shot after a dispute with a man over a gay Pride flag that was hanging at her clothing store, according to police.

Deputies with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office responded to a clothing shop called Mag Pi in Cedar Glen on Friday at about 5 p.m. for reports of a shooting, the sheriff's office said. They found the store's owner, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton, with a gunshot wound.

She was pronounced dead at the store, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Authorities said that during their investigation "detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton."

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A California business owner was fatally shot after a dispute with a man over a gay Pride flag that was hanging at her clothing store, according to police. (Reuters / Axel Schmidt / File)

The suspect, who has not been identified, fled the store on foot after the shooting. Police tracked the suspect and found him with a handgun that same day. The suspect was killed by deputies in "a lethal force encounter," the sheriff’s department said.

"When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased. No deputies were injured during the incident," the sheriff's office press release stated.

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Carleton, who went by the name Lauri, is described on Mag Pi's website as a "mother of a blended family of nine children" who has been "married to the same man for 28 years."

This view shows the shopping center in Cedar Glen, California, where a business owner was shot dead. (Google Maps)

Carleton was well known in the area, according to local media reports.

"Lauri was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice," grocery store Mountain Provisions Cooperative posted in a tribute to the business owner. "If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about. She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain."

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The food cooperative also called on people to "Fly your flags in honor of Lauri."

The suspect was killed by San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies in "a lethal force encounter." (Google Maps )

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional comment on the case. The shooting is under investigation.