Clothing Designer’s Life Cut Short in a Shocking Act of Violence
By Dolores Quintana
A California clothing store owner and designer, Laura Ann Carleton, tragically lost her life in a horrifying incident where she was allegedly shot by a gunman who confronted her about a Pride flag displayed outside her business. The shooting occurred in Cedar Glen, an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, situated along the picturesque shores of Lake Arrowhead, as reported by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office.
Laura Ann Carleton, the mother of nine children, was fatally shot on Friday in front of her clothing store. The suspected assailant, whose identity had not been disclosed publicly, fled the scene of the crime on foot. However, law enforcement officers located the individual in close proximity to Carleton’s store, leading to a fatal confrontation during which sheriff’s deputies shot the gunman. The assailant was reportedly armed with a handgun and failed to comply with orders to drop the weapon.
The sheriff’s office provided the following statement regarding the incident: “When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased.” No deputies sustained injuries during the incident.
The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 5 p.m. on Friday, with the sheriff’s office revealing that the suspect had made derogatory remarks about a Pride flag displayed outside Carleton’s store before carrying out the shooting.
On her store’s official website, Laura Ann Carleton shared details of her lifelong involvement in the fashion industry, which began during her teenage years. She pursued formal education in design at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, before embarking on a successful career in fashion design. Her professional journey included more than 15 years of service with Kenneth Cole Productions, where she ultimately rose to an executive position.
The website also highlighted Laura Ann Carleton’s commitment to family, as she had been married to her husband for 28 years and was the proud mother of a blended family of nine children, including identical twin girls. While Carleton and her husband maintained a residence in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City, they also owned a cabin on the picturesque Lake Arrowhead.
Director Paul Feig said on his Instagram page, “Our wonderful friend Lauri Carlton (seen in this picture) was murdered yesterday in her store @magpi_shop in Lake Arrowhead by a 27-year-old man who didn’t like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop. He ripped it down, and when she confronted him about it, he shot and killed her.”
