Gay bagel shop owner shot dead on vacation in New Orleans
Bagel shop owner Jacob A. Carter was shot and killed during a trip to New Orleans. (Instagram/@howdybagel)
Jacob A. Carter, the owner of a popular Washington bagel shop and a gay man, is being remembered by loved ones and customers after he was shot and killed last week.
Carter, 32, was on vacation in New Orleans when he was approached by a man at 1.30am on Friday (5 January) who shot him and fled the scene.
The Texas native was left on the street to die. The New Orleans Police Department confirmed to local news outlet The News Tribune that Carter was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of Tuesday (9 January), no arrests have been made.
Carter had been visiting New Orleans with his husband Daniel Blagovich, with whom he co-owned the popular Howdy Bagel café.
Originally, he had worked as a social worker for refugees, as well as a documentary photographer in the Middle East.
Carter and his husband decided to open Howdy Bagel in Washington when they were both laid off from their jobs during the pandemic.
It wasn’t long before the queer-owned company became a local hot spot with hour-long queues forming at local farmers markets and pop-up locations, filled with eager customers hoping to get a taste of the couple’s homemade bagels and sandwiches.
The official Howdy Bagel Instagram page announced the devastating news of Carter’s death to its followers on Sunday (7 January).
“It is with broken hearts that we share the news of the death of our beloved Jacob Carter,” the post read.
“If you knew Jake, you know he was someone who exuded kindness, warmth, and genuine care to everyone he met. Jake was one of the brightest spots in the lives of everyone he loved.”
Those wishing to pay their respects were asked to give Carter’s husband Blagovich and other members of his family some privacy.
“If you feel the need to reach out with a message on Instagram, know that we will hold your messages with gratitude but do not have the capacity to respond,” said the statement.
Customers were also asked to consider contributing to a GoFundMe to “give Daniel space to grieve without having to worry about the logistics of running a business.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has collected a whopping $207,715 (£163,441).
Offering a very brief comment to The News Tribune, Blagovich said that he and Carter were attacked that night in New Orleans, and that his husband “died in [his] arms.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and need to talk to someone, visit samaritans.org or call 08457 90 90 90.
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