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President Joe Biden toured areas of Maui devastated by recent wildfires and where hundreds of people are still

A gunman who killed California shop owner Laura “Lauri” Carleton after making “disparaging remarks” about her LGBTQ+ flag has been named by authorities. Travis Ikeguchi, 27, shot the 66-year-old mother-of-nine dead outside of her Mag.Pi store in Cedar Glen, 83 miles east of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement on Monday. Deputies found Carleton outside the store suffering from a single gunshot wound at 5pm (PT) on Friday. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical responders. The suspect was located nearby near Torrey Rd and Rause Rancho Rd armed with a handgun, and was shot dead by deputies. The shootings remain under investigation. San Bernardino Sheriff Shannon Dicus confirmed the suspect’s identity at a press conference on Monday afternoon. He confirmed that the suspect had “Pulled down a pride flag and yelled many homophobic slurs towards Carleton” before shooting her. Officials say that the gun used to kill Carleton was a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, that was not registered to the suspect. And the sheriff added that the suspect’s family had reported him as missing the day before the murder took place. Carleton has been remembered by family and friends as a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community who died while standing up to homophobic hate speech. Carleton, who was married to husband Bort for 28 years, was “murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront”, daughters Ari and Kelsey wrote on Instagram. “Make no mistake, this was a hate crime,” the daughters wrote. Vandals had ripped down rainbow flags several times from the store that Carleton opened in 2021, and each time she would replace them with bigger ones, the daughters said. Ghostbusters director Paul Feig wrote on Instagram that his “wonderful friend” had been murdered by a man who “didn’t like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside of her shop”. “This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people,” Mr Feig said. The Lake Arrowhead LGBT+ community group is planning to hold a vigil for Carleton once Tropical Storm Hilary passes. Read More Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Mag.Pi store owner and ‘true LGBTQ ally’ killed in row over Pride flag A murder over a Pride flag is sadly no surprise to anyone paying attention Daughters describe store owner slain over Pride flag as ‘fearless’

When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up. Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City. And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community. This weekend, it happened once again. Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street. On Friday, police said that the gunman began complaining about the Pride flag hanging outside of the store on Hook Creek Road. He then pulled out a gun, fatally shooting Carleton. The killer, who was named by authorities as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, then fled the scene before being tracked down and killed in an encounter with law enforcement. Hollywood stars and LGBT+ community members are now speaking out about Carleton’s horrific murder, condemning the senseless killing and paying tribute to the 66-year-old – while warning that her shocking murder is a sign of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment and hate spreading across the US. Murder over a rainbow flag On Friday, 18 August at 5pm officers from the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a person who had been shot at the Mag Pi clothing store. When police arrived on the scene, they saw that Carleton was suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials from the San Bernardino County sheriff’s office said that there was an initial altercation that took place at Carleton’s clothing store over an LGBT+ pride flag that the owner has displayed outside of her store. The suspect made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton,” police said. The suspect then fled the scene and was later located near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road, armed with a handgun. Police said in a statement when officials attempted to “contact the suspect a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased.” The investigation into Carleton’s death is ongoing and police said no further details are being released. Residents are urged to contact the homicide department with any information about the incident. A ‘true ally’ and fashion leader Carleton, 66, also known as “Lauri” was the owner of Mag Pi clothing in California. She started her career in fashion during her teenage years and worked in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles, while attending the Art Centre School of Design, according to the Mag Pi store website. Carleton then began running the “top fashion” show floor in the US at Joseph Magnin Century City. She then joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factories and design teams in Italy and Spain. The designer travelled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things. Her clothing store, Mag Pi, is “all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream,” the website reads. Carleton’s daughter, Ari, posted a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram, remembering her mother as a “fearless, cool and compassionate” human being and describing her death as a “hate crime.” The caption said: “As most of you know our beautiful mommy was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been torn down before and she always responded by putting up a bigger one. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch.” The post continued: “We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate – always putting others first. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph over hate.” ‘This intolerance has to end’ Tributes are now pouring in for the “beloved” mother of nine and business owner who was known to be a supporter and advocate of theLGBT+ community. The death of Carleton has led to outrage across the country, with family, friends and famous figures sharing their grief on social media. Actor George Takei, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that her death was a result of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment coming from the right. “This is the result of the hate they spew. An innocent woman, a gentle and loving soul, has lost her life” he said. “My heart aches for her family in the wake of this horrific murder. Those responsible go beyond the murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted pundit, and right-wing hate monger has Laura Carleton’s blood on their hands.” Close friend and Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday, calling Carleton his “wonderful friend”. The post, captioned with a photo of Carleton and him said: “We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. “This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Let’s all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain,” he added. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community also described Carleton as a "friend and supporter” and said that although she did not identify as LGBTQ+, she spent her time “helping and advocating for everyone in the community.” Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis also posted a tribute and said Carleton was a “strong ally” within the community. Davis’s caption said: “I had the pleasure of meeting Lauri and shopping in her charming store over the summer. I cannot comprehend what has happened and I can only imagine what her family and close friends are going through. “We cannot rest in our work towards love and understanding and equality for every person. It is abundantly clear that divisive senseless hate is the only motive for this hate crime. Lauri was a strong ally, when her Pride flags were stolen she quickly replaced them. To think that she was murdered for her support of our LQBTQ+ family tears my heart into pieces. “I want Lauri to be known as the HERO she was and is. I want her family to know we are thinking of them and for everyone to know that we must continue to stand up for what is right! #lovewins.” Read More Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Mag.Pi store owner and ‘true LGBTQ ally’ killed in row over Pride flag ‘This was a hate crime’: Community grieves Laura Ann Carleton’s killing over Pride flag in shop Paul Feig leads celebrity reactions to ‘horrific’ shooting of California store owner over Pride flag California store owner, 66, shot dead after argument about Pride flag outside her shop

China's and Russia's clout is increasing in Africa, as resentment builds towards Western nations.

The Seattle Mariners have moved into a postseason spot thanks in part to star Julio Rodriguez. Here's what the playoff bracket would look like if the season ended today.MLB is nearing the one-month warning for teams looking to make it to the postseason. Top teams like the Atlanta Braves, Ba...

A former Missouri respiratory therapist has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in connection with the deaths of two patients over 20 years ago. Jennifer Hall, who was arrested in May 2022, was sentenced on Friday to a state prison and will have the possibility of parole, according to KCTV. Hall was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, but in April this year she pleaded guilty to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in connection with the deaths of Fern Franco, 75, and David Wesley Harper, 37. Hall also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree assault, according to the outlet. In 2002, nine patients — including Franco and Harper — died at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe over a several month period. Charging documents described this series of events as “medically suspicious.” Hall started working at the hospital, which is in the north-central part of the state, in December 2001 until she was placed on administrative leave five months later, the publication noted. During that time the facility experienced 18 “code blue” incidents, a notable hike from the average the year before. Nine of those patients died, according to USA Today. In 2017, morphine and a muscle relaxant called succinylcholine were found in tissue samples taken from Franco, despite the fact that neither drug was prescribed by her doctors, according to reports. The discovery caused the case to resurface. “Because of Hall’s singular proximity to stricken patients, her access to pharmaceuticals which are deadly if misused, and her discovery and method of notifying staff of every patient’s cardiac emergency, nursing staff believed Hall was responsible for the patient deaths,” said Chillicothe Police Officer Brian Schmidt in a probable cause statement. “The substance Hall used to brutally take Fern Franco’s life, succinylcholin, paralyzes the victim’s muscles, including the diaphragm, causing the victim to suffer a ghastly death from suffocation while still maintaining full consciousness and awareness that they are unable to breathe,” the officer continued. Matt O’Connor, Hall’s lawyer, maintained his client’s innocence, saying that as a respiratory therapist, she didn’t have access to succinylcholine, morphine or any other drugs. He said he believed Hall was accused of being involved in the deaths because of an arson conviction, which she was cleared of in 2005. Aprille Franco, a granddaughter, told KCTV: “My dad wanted answers so we could finally put flowers on her grave knowing someone is responsible for this. “I didn’t know my grandma,” she added, “but given the chance I may have known her ... I’m focused on getting answers and helping other families get the answers they deserve.” “A sentence 20 years in the making,” said Livingston County prosecutor Adam Warren, who launched an investigation 10 years ago. “The sentence was for 18 years,” he said in a statement. “Jennifer Hall will be able to parole someday. But for now, we all sleep better knowing she is behind bars.” Mr Warren did not reveal a possible motive, but the case bears haunting similarities to one in the UK, where nurse Lucy Letby was sentenced to life in prison on Monday after being found guilty of murdering children who were in her care. Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others when she was working on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Read More Lucy Letby jailed for life: Nurse refuses to face court in ‘final act of wickedness’ An empty dock and a final act of cowardice: inside the Lucy Letby sentencing Baby murderer Lucy Letby to spend rest of her life in jail for ‘evil’ crimes

An investigation has been launched after an American woman went missing while staying at a resort in Mexico. Officials say that Nekendra Karen Kingston was a guest at the Barcelo Hotel in Playa del Carmen, reported ABC News. Ms Kingston, 49, has not been heard from since 9 August, and her family filed a complaint on 19 August.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been slapped with a suspension from his own school in light of the NCAA investigation.Amid an ongoing investigation by the NCAA into Jim Harbaugh's recruitment violations, Michigan has suspended the long-time head coach for three games.Earlier this month,...

Officials warn that high temperatures and strong winds on Tuesday could see more devastating fires.

Major roads in and out of the California desert town are closed after over 3in of rain fell.

Steelers rumors: Former Ravens player predicts Pittsburgh will miss playoffsEven after a rough 2-6 start to the 2022 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly missed out on a playoff spot after finishing the year 9-8. This offseason, general manager Omar Khan made additions across both sides of the...

Areas along the South Texas coast are under tropical storm alerts for a yet-to-form system that could start lashing the area with wind, rain and coastal flooding as soon as Tuesday morning.