Fashion designer Kenneth Cole regretted the death Laura Ann Carltonhis former longtime CEO who was shot and killed for displaying a pride flag in her clothing store.
Carlton, 66, who became an independent business owner after a 15-year stint with Kenneth Kole Productions, Shot dead on August 18th At her clothing outlet at Lake Arrowhead, California.
“An unnecessary and tragic death for a long time PKK trade union [associate] And a friend,” he said on X, formerly Twitter, and added a hashtag calling for gun reform in the US.
The San Bernardino Police Department announced that Carlton was killed at the scene and the suspect was shot and killed by police deputies in a “fatal encounter.”
Police said the suspect “made several disparaging remarks about the rainbow flag and stood outside the store before shooting Carlton.”
Carlton’s cold-blooded killing sparked celebrities from the entertainment industry and members of the LGBT+ The community to speak out against senseless killing and honor the memory of the Mother of Nine.
They also expressed concerns that the horrific murder is a sign of rising anti-LGBT sentiment across the United States.
Carlton’s daughter Ari posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, remembering her mother as “brave, wonderful, and compassionate.” Her death was described as a “hate crime.”.
“As most of you know, our beautiful mother was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered because of a pride flag she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been flown before and she always responded by raising a flag Akbar Our family is broken We have a long way to go as we navigate this new reality without our loving God.
Actor George Takei said her death was the result of anti-LGBT+ sentiment coming from the right.
He said Carlton was a beloved shopkeeper in the area who was “shot and killed for standing up as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community”.
Her crime in the eyes of the killer? Officials say he “made several disparaging remarks about the rainbow flag” outside her store before shooting her. Her killer later died in a confrontation with the police. This is the result of the hate they receive.
“An innocent woman, a kind and loving soul, lost her life. My heart aches for her family in the aftermath of this horrific murder. These officials are beyond murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted bigot, and right-wing hatemonger has Laura Carleton’s blood on their hands.”
“She was murdered in her Lake Arrowhead, California, store for displaying the Pride Flag,” said Congresswoman Cory Bush.
“This is the danger of the onslaught of homophobia and transphobia that we’re seeing across the country. We will not forget Lori or her commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights.”
Carlton has been an ally of the LGBT+ community and has faced resistance for displaying the pride flag in its store in the past. However, she remained defiant and continued to display it outside her Mag Pi store.
But this time, resisting keeping the flag then cost her life The gunman, Travis Ikeguchi She started complaining about the Pride flag hanging outside her store and later killed her.
