Suspect Accused of Fatally Shooting California Shop Owner Has Disturbing History of Anti-LGBTQ Posts
Travis Ikeguchi was killed by police after authorities said he gunned down the Mag Pi shop owner.
Aug. 22 2023, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
After police confirmed the identity of the man suspected of fatally shooting a California shop owner over her Pride flag display, his disturbing online history has been uncovered, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Travis Ikeguchi, 27, was shot and killed by police shortly after he allegedly gunned down Laura Ann Carleton, 66, outside of her Lake Arrowhead clothing store on Friday.
Memorial set up outside of Mag Pi clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Ikeguchi being named as the murder suspect led to the discovery of his social media accounts, which featured a concerning amount of anti-LGBTQ posts.
In one post, the 27-year-old called members of the LGBTQ community "mentally disordered" and claimed the community was an "abomination" that was being forced on Americans by the government.
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Police confirmed that Travis Ikeguchi was the suspect shot and killed by officers on Friday.
On the right-wing blogging site GAB, Ikeguchi's account had a pinned post that featured a burning Pride flag along with a troubling caption.
"We need to STOP COMPROMISING on this LGBT dictatorship and not let them take over our lives! Stop accepting this abomination that the government is forcing us to submit to these mentally disordered tyrants," Ikeguchi wrote alongside the anti-Pride photo.
Ikeguchi's account was riddled with posts that attacked the LGBTQ community, in addition to posts referencing religion and politics.
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Further down on his GAB account, Ikeguchi ranted about Americans needing to "repent." His message continued to target the LGBTQ community, as well as pro-choice advocates and the government.
"America must repent for a lot of things we allow; abortion/baby killing, sexual immortality, pornography, same-sex marriages, LGBTQP/pedophilia, freemasonry, religiosity, politics, wars, colonialism, the federal reserve," the suspect wrote in a previous entry.
In another post, Ikeguchi used homophobic slurs to attack conservative activist Amal Ekpunobi.
Right-wing critics called for boycotts against Target earlier this year over store's seasonal Pride displays.
"Even though this f----- doesn't like to be labeled as LGBTQP, he is still a f----- and we should allow f----- in our society anyway even if they don't to be called these mentally ill pronouns," Ikeguchi wrote about Ekpunobi.
The suspect added that "homosexuals still at any form should be illegal."
Ikeguchi's post painted a picture of hatred and intolerance for the LGBTQ community. Police believed Carleton's display of the Pride flag and open support of the community trigged the suspect into a fit of rage.
On Monday, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said that the suspect was heard "yelling many homophobic slurs" about Carleton's Pride flags, which were hung outside of the Mag Pi clothing store. After he allegedly opened fire, Dicus said Ikeguchi fled the scene.
"Deputies located the suspect near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road, armed with a handgun," the sheriff said of police response on Friday.
"When deputies attempted to contact the suspect, a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased," Discus said while noting that no officers were harmed in the process.
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