A mother-of-nine was shot and killed by a man over a flag she put up at her store in California.

Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was a mother, businesswoman, and the owner of the Magpi boutique in Lake Arrowhead who got into a heated argument with one of her customers after displaying a Pride flag outside her store last Friday.

According to the reports, the woman was confronted by a man who made a series of derogatory comments towards her and the flag she put up at her store.

Amid their argument, the male suspect pulled out his gun and fatally shot the mother. He was later chased down by the police and killed in a shootout with the authorities.

“On Friday, August 18, 2023, at 5 pm, deputies from the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a person who had been shot at the Mag Pi clothing store on Hook Creek Road,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement.

“When deputies arrived, they located the victim, identified as Laura Ann Carleton, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel pronounced Carleton deceased at the scene.”

As of this writing, the gunman who killed the business owner has yet to be named.

Following the shocking crime that rocked the local community, residents gathered outside Laura’s store to leave floral tributes and messages to the late woman who “stood selflessly” for the values she believed in.

“Thank you all for your love,” one message taped on the store’s window read.

Meanwhile, one mourner expressed: “If you knew Lauri you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those she cared about.

“She was a force, she loved to crack jokes and wanted to live as joyful of a life as possible. We will continue to stand for the values she so selflessly stood for. Her death will not be in vain.”

Our thoughts remain with Laura’s loved ones as the investigation remains ongoing.