The daughter of slain California businesswoman Laura “Lauri” Ann Carleton says the man who shot and killed her mother is “irrelevant”.
Officials named 27-year-old California man Travis Ikeguchi as the suspect who shot and killed Carleton after making homophobic remarks about a Pride flag hanging outside her Mag.Pi fashion store in Cedar Glen on Friday.
Ikeguchi, who was later shot and killed by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies, had made bigoted comments criticising the LGBT+ community and law enforcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the far-right platform Gab.
In a statement to NBC News, Ari Carleton said the family “doesn’t care” about the suspect.
“We will continue to steer the narrative away from him and towards my mother and honouring her. He is irrelevant,” Ms Carelton said.
“The media must stop glorifying these individuals by giving them this platform.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the homicide as a potential hate crime.
Carleton’s senseless murder has since led to an outpouring of grief and anger from her children and family members, Hollywood stars and the LGBT+ community members who have warned that her killing is a marker of the anti-LGBT+ hate currently being spread across the US.
