More details surrounding the senseless killing of a shop owner and mother of 9 ... as her close friend says a man ripped down the shop's pride flag before shooting and killing the woman.
Director Paul Feig, known for projects like "Bridesmaids," "The Office," and 2016's "Ghostbusters," expressed his pain online for the loss of his pal, Lauri Carleton -- owner of Lake Arrowhead's Mag,Pi, where she was killed Friday night.
Paul writes about the man who cops say shot her over the flag she had hanging outside her store ... adding, "He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her."
He goes on to sing her praises as a fashion designer and a friend, saying she was a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community and asking folks to "keep moving forward with tolerance and love."
As we reported, The San Bernardino County Sheriff said cops arrived at her shop to find her suffering from a gunshot wound, with paramedics later pronouncing her dead at the scene. The flag is visibly hanging off the pole after Friday's shooting.
The man who allegedly killed Carleton was shot dead by police after the fateful incident, and it's unclear if it'll be investigated as a hate crime, but San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called what went down a "senseless act of hate and violence."