Posted on by Randy Slovacek

Shooter Identified In California Rainbow Flag Murder

Police have identified the man who shot and killed a clothing store owner in Cedar Glen, California, after becoming enraged over a rainbow flag on display outside the store.
(screen capture via NBC News)

Police have identified the shooter who gunned down a clothing store owner in Cedar Glen, California, after becoming enraged over a rainbow flag on display outside the store.

From NBC News:

Travis Ikeguchi, 27, was responsible for shooting Laura Ann Carleton, 66, to death after “yelling many homophobic slurs” about the store’s Pride flag on Friday, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said at a press conference on Monday.

Ikeguchi fled Carleton’s store, Mag Pi, by foot and was later killed in “a lethal force encounter” with deputies on Friday. The 27-year-old fired at multiple patrol vehicles with an unregistered semi-automatic handgun before officials fatally shot him, Dicus said.

Dicus added that it appears Ikeguchi acted alone. However, he said that authorities want to ensure that the crime was not affiliated with any broader hate groups and that the investigation is ongoing.

While Carleton wasn’t a member of the LGBTQ community, she was a well-known ally to queer people. She is survived by her husband and nine children.

While the incident hasn’t been officially ruled a hate crime, the sheriff’s office did share that Ikeguchi, a resident of Cedar Glen, was found to have a history of making anti-LGBTQ posts on social media. He was also a big fan of far-right extremist Matt Walsh.

Below is the pinned tweet on his Twitter account. Btw – that “p” in LGBTQP apparently stands for “pedophile.” So, yeah, homophobic asshole.