A store owner in California was shot over the Pride flag she displayed outside her clothing boutique. Some say California’s governor isn’t doing enough to stop crime in the state. Here’s the full story.
She Followed Her Dreams
At an early age, Lauri Carleton wanted to work in the fashion industry. She opened a clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California to live out her dream.
Mag Pi was the name of Carleton’s clothing store, where she worked to support her blended family of nine children and her husband of 28 years.
One of Carleton’s friends described her as “a pillar” in the community and “an immovable force in her values for equality, love, and justice.” Because of her values for equality, Carleton proudly displayed a Pride flag outside of her clothing store.
After having a dispute and a confrontation with a man over the Pride flag that was displayed, Carleton was shot by the man at her clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California.
He Made “Several Disparaging Remarks”
In a news release, detectives said that the suspect had made “several disparaging remarks” about the rainbow flag outside Carleton’s store.
On Instagram, the account Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ said that even though Carleton did not identify as a member of the queer community, she was an “advocate for everyone in the community.”
Some community members said the Pride flag at Carleton’s store made them feel “welcome and safe.” People on Twitter said Carleton was “more than an ally” for the LGBTQ+ community.
Carleton’s tragic murder has caused passionate reactions from people on social media who accuse the shooter of being a “MAGA” supporter.
“Worried About Being Killed by a Trump-Supporting, LGBTQ Hating, Assault Rifle Owning, Looking for a Fight, Domestic Terrorist”
One Twitter user said he was “worried about being killed by a Trump-supporting, LGBTQ hating, assault rifle owning, looking for a fight, domestic terrorist” after hearing about the clothing store owner being shot.
Roshmax on Twitter said he was “heartbroken to hear about a business owner being tragically taken from us simply for displaying a symbol of love and acceptance.”
Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, posted a tweet describing the situation as “absolutely horrific.” He also said, “This disgusting hate has no place in CA.”
Twitter users responded to Newsom’s post with backlash. One user told Newsom, “You only cherry pick the horrors happening in California to divide and conquer. Why not comment on the rampant crime that goes unpunished in your state?”
“Oh Cool, You Finally Noticed a Violent Crime in California”
Californians have not been happy with how “quiet” Newsom has been regarding violent crimes happening in the state. Roseanne Barr commented on Newsom’s post, saying, “Oh cool, you finally noticed a violent crime in California.”
Another Twitter user commented on Newsom’s tweet with pictures of several other business owners in California who had been murdered without being mentioned.
The Twitter user said he had posted “a few victims” who were killed during a robbery in California. He criticized Newsom for not mentioning these victims in a tweet.
The Twitter user said that Newsom tweeted about the store owner who was killed over a Pride flag “because it fits his narrative.”
“People Should Be Alarmed To Hear About Attacks on the LGBTQ+ Community”
When Target stores nationwide announced they were removing certain items and changing other LGBTQ+ merchandise just before Pride month, Governor Gavin Newsom spoke out about it.
Newsom said “People should be alarmed to hear about attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.” He accused the CEO of Target, Brian Cornell, of “selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists.”
In a separate incident earlier in the year, a Pride flag was set on fire at an elementary school in Los Angeles. Newsom called it a “full-throated purge effort” created “by the far-right.”
Newsom accused the far-right of being on a “boycott binge and cancel crusade, trying to eliminate the existence of minority communities.”
The post A California Boutique Owner’s Life Cut Short Over Display of Pride Flag – A Community in Mourning and a State in Controversy first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Maxim Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: NBC News