*A Southern California business owner was shot and killed Friday by a man who objected to an LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed at her clothing store, officials said.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Mag.Pi clothing store in Cedar Glen, Calif., at around 5 p.m. local time for reports of a shooting.

Deputies discovered the victim, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton, suffering from a gunshot wound. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

The suspect, who was not identified by officials, fled the scene on foot.

According to deputies, the man made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag” that stood outside Carleton’s store before ultimately shooting her.*

  • Wirrvogel@feddit.de
    2·
    1 year ago

    I find it important to make clear it was a hate crime, but Lauri Carleton was NOT killed “over a rainbow flag outside her clothing store”.

    No one gets killed because of a rainbow flag. You get killed because an asshole who wants to rather die than adapt to the world changing wants to spread fear with his last action and needs desperately to find a “reason”. Let’s not pretend he had a reason any other than being a coward.

    My heart goes out to her family, friends and the community impacted.

  • mika@lemmy.ml
    1·
    1 year ago

    We used to have a progress flag on our car but took it off months ago due to fears of something like this happening. How senseless and tagic… may she rest in peace.

  • eestileib@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    1 year ago

    Massive respect and sorrow for the loss of an actual ally.

    And fuck that guy and the religion, media, and politicians that made him.

    Sic semper bigotis.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
      0·
      1 year ago

      I am religious and I believe in life after death. I also believe this dude will suffer for quite some time for this show of intolerance. Every major religion I’m familiar with views murder as unforgivable, and that’s precisely what this was, murder of an innocent.

      I sincerely hope this person gets what they deserve in the next life.

      I have nothing but love for the LGBTQ+ community. I hope the pride flags out there give you some sense of reassurance that the majority is on your side. Screw that guy, and screw anyone that thinks violence is an option to dealing with these types of disagreements. i sincerely hope this convinces others to rethink their own intolerant views.

      • quinnly@lemmy.ml
        0·
        1 year ago

        Every major religion I’m familiar with views murder as unforgivable

        Many many religions also view homosexuality as a sin, so depending on what you believe you may be walking a very fine line of hypocrisy here

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
          0·
          1 year ago

          I don’t see any reason for hypocrisy. Most religions don’t condone violence against sinners, instead leaving that to God to handle. They instead encourage peaceful proselytizing to convince sinners to repent.

          So whether homosexuality is a sin is irrelevant, violence isn’t acceptable. You may believe a gay couple deserves an eternity in hell, but that doesn’t justify murder.

          People have absolutely used religion as an excuse, but they need to do a lot of mental gymnastics to justify it with the tenets of the religion. And if you’re willing to do that, you don’t need religion at that point, it’s just good old fashioned intolerance. If it’s not religion, maybe it’s a philosophy or political ideology.

          • quinnly@lemmy.ml
            0·
            1 year ago

            Are you Christian? If so you may want to review Leviticus, which literally calls for violence and death against homosexuals. If you are a Christian but you’re being picky and choosy with scripture, then you are a hypocrite.

            Leviticus 20:13 If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

            Edit: I went out on a limb and quoted Christian scripture because you capitalized the word god. If you aren’t Christian I can try to provide scripture for whatever religion you believe in

              • quinnly@lemmy.ml
                1·
                1 year ago

                The Hadith has multiple passages that condemn homosexuality and call for violence against it:

                Sunan Abi Dawud 4462-4463 If you find anyone doing as Lot’s people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done. If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death

                Historically Islam has actually been more accepting of LGBT people than Christianity, but in recent history many Islamic countries have sadly flipped the script.