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Axios
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Man dies after shooting at "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City
A man who was shot during Saturday's "No Kings" protest in downtown Salt Lake City has died, police said Sunday. The latest: The Salt Lake City Police Department on Sunday said the victim, 39-year-old Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a Utah resident, appeared to be "an innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire." After the shooting, police found 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa with a gunshot wound hiding in a crowd of people. Gamboa was taken to the hospital before being booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of murder. Two armed men, who were detained by police and believed to be part of the event's peacekeeping team, told authorities they spotted Gamboa acting suspiciously and saw him pull out an AR-15-style rifle from his backpack, according to police. The men pulled out their firearms and asked Gamboa to drop his weapon, police said. Instead, Gamboa began running into the crowd with the firearm. One of the peacekeepers fired three shots that struck the gunman and Ah Loo. What we're watching: Police have still not determined why Gamboa pulled out the rifle or ran away from the peacekeepers. The peacekeepers' actions are also under investigation. State of play: The shooting occurred just before 8pm near 151 S. State St., according to police. The big picture: About 10,000 demonstrators marched through the city to protest the Trump administration on Saturday, joining similar rallies across the state and nationwide. The protests were mostly peaceful before Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker was shot and killed, and another wounded, in what authorities called "targeted" attacks. What they're saying:"Our detectives are now working to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident," Salt Lake City police chief Brian Redd said in a statement Sunday. "We will not allow this individual act to create fear in our community." "The violence that we've seen here today in Salt Lake City and even in other parts of this nation is horrific, and it is not who we are," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall told reporters Saturday night. "This act of violence does not define our city." Gov. Spencer Cox also condemned the violence on Saturday, saying"My heart is broken for everyone impacted tonight." Zoom in: Videos from the protest show marchers running away and seeking cover after the shots were fired. Threat level: Police say there is no current threat to the community.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- USA Today
Man arrested after shooting death at Utah 'No Kings' protest released from jail
A man accused of wielding a rifle at a "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City before an armed safety volunteer opened fire and accidentally killed a protester has been released from jail, court records show. Utah Third District Judge James Blanch signed an order to release Arturo Gamboa on June 20 after state prosecutors were "unable to make an informed decision" on charges against him before his scheduled release date on June 23, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY. Gamboa, 24, had been arrested on suspicion of murder following a "No Kings" demonstration and march in downtown Salt Lake City on June 14. As prosecutors review evidence as it becomes available, the order states that Gamboa was released under stipulated conditions agreed upon through his attorney. Under those conditions, Gamboa must maintain residence with his father, not possess any firearms, and hand over his passport to his attorney. His release came after Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill requested and received a three-day extension to keep Gamboa in custody, The Salt Lake Tribune and reported. The extension would have detained Gamboa until June 23, but Gill later said his office was unable to decide Gamboa's culpability in the shooting, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Gamboa was taken into custody after he pulled out a rifle at demonstrators and allegedly moved toward the crowd while holding the weapon in a firing position, Salt Lake City police said. An armed safety volunteer, who police described as a member of the peacekeeping team for the protest, then fired three shots. Juneteenth celebrations shootings: 2 dead, 16 injured after shootings in South Carolina, Oklahoma Gamboa was wounded in the shooting while a nearby demonstrator, identified as fashion designer Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was killed, according to police. Prosecutors and police said the incident remains under investigation. Police have asked the public to contact authorities with any information related to the shooting as investigators work to "understand the full scope of what occurred." "We are asking for the public's help. If you captured any footage, particularly from the moments immediately before, during, or after the shooting, or if you have video of the shooting itself, or the person arrested, please share that evidence with us," the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a news release. "Even small details may prove vital to this investigation." What happened during the shooting at Utah's 'No Kings' rally? Shortly before 8 p.m. local time, officers reported hearing gunfire at the demonstration, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Police reported that three shots were fired, and a man, who was later identified as Ah Loo, was fatally struck by a round. Officers immediately responded to the scene and were informed that a man wearing a black mask and all black clothing was seen running away, the affidavit states. Officers then discovered the man, who was identified as Gamboa, with a minor gunshot wound, crouched down among a small group of people. Officers discovered that Gamboa had an AR-15 style rifle, a gas mask, additional black clothing, and a backpack, according to the affidavit. Other officers in the area found two men wearing yellow high-visibility vests with handguns in their possession. Police described the two men as members of a "peacekeeping group assigned to assist the planned protest/rally in ensuring everyone's safety," the affidavit states. One of the "peacekeepers" told officers that he saw Gamboa move away from the main crowd to a secluded area behind a wall. Iran strikes: Protests erupt calling for Trump, U.S. to stay out of war in Middle East "The peacekeepers found this behavior to be suspicious and kept (Gamboa) in view," according to the affidavit. "One of the peacekeepers observed (Gamboa) remove an AR-15 style rifle from a backpack he was carrying. He observed (Gamboa) begin to manipulate the rifle and they called out to him to the drop the gun after drawing their own firearms." Gamboa then allegedly lifted the rifle, and witnesses described seeing him begin to run toward the large crowd of demonstrators while holding the weapon in a firing position, the affidavit states. One of the "peacekeepers" fired three rounds, striking Gamboa and Ah Loo. "Detectives have not been able to determine, at this time, why Gamboa pulled out his rifle and began to manipulate it or why he ran from the peacekeepers when they confronted him," police said in a news release after the incident. "Detectives have developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member." There are no regulations for how guns are carried in public in Utah, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control group. And police have not identified the two "peacekeepers" involved in the incident. Shooting occurred during widespread 'No Kings' protests on June 14 "No Kings" demonstrations across the United States drew large crowds on June 14. The protests were held in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies and coincided with the controversial parade for the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. While the demonstrations were mostly calm and peaceful, some protests were met with violence. The Salt Lake City shooting occurred as thousands of protesters gathered in the city's downtown area. Police initially said the protest drew about 10,000 people, but later updated the estimated attendance to 18,000. In Virginia, a man intentionally drove an SUV through a crowd of departing protesters, striking at least one person, police said. A California man was arrested after allegedly threatening to commit a shooting at the Palm Springs "No Kings" rally, police said on social media. Police in Los Angeles hit protesters with batons, fired tear gas, and ordered a large crowd in downtown to disperse. At the time, police said they were responding to people throwing "rocks, bricks, bottles," and "fireworks." Two people were charged on June 18 after a woman was critically injured when an SUV sped into a crowd of demonstrators in downtown Riverside in Southern California, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and the Victorville Daily Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Sarah D. Wire, Jeanine Santucci, and Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
Politico
22-06-2025
- Politico
Man arrested after Utah ‘No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A man who brought a rifle to a 'No Kings' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues. Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, 24, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder following the June 14 shooting. Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was allegedly moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His lawyer, Greg Skordas, said Gamboa was lawfully in possession of the rifle at the rally and was walking with it unloaded pointed at the ground before he was shot in the back by the volunteer. Skordas said he does not believe that Gamboa heard anyone tell him to drop the weapon. 'There was never any raising of the gun, any brandishing of the gun, any pointing it toward anyone at all,' Skordas said. Gamboa had been attending the rally as a supporter, Skordas said, adding that he was not entirely sure why Gamboa brought the rifle. Skordas said his client, who works at a grocery store and is a part-time musician, had brought a gun at least once in the past to a demonstration, during the Black Lives Matter protests several years ago. Skordas said the volunteer who shot Gamboa and the demonstrator should face criminal charges, not Gamboa. His father Albert Gamboa, told The Associated Press earlier this week that his son was 'an innocent guy' who was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault. Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote. Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa 'knowingly engaged in conduct ... that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying 'to piece together exactly what happened.' The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order. Experts say it's extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security. Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide against President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday.
Los Angeles Times
21-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Man arrested after Utah ‘No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings Day' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues. Salt Lake County Dist. Atty. Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder after the June 14 shooting. Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father, Albert Gamboa, told the Associated Press this week that his son was 'an innocent guy' who was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault. Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote. Gamboa's attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment. Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa 'knowingly engaged in conduct ... that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying 'to piece together exactly what happened.' The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order. Experts say it's extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security. Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker's organization on Thursday said it was disassociating from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest. The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide involving millions of demonstrators against President Trump's policies — which they likened to the dictatorial actions of a monarch — and his military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday. Brown writes for the Associated Press.
Newsweek
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Utah 'No Kings' Protest Update: Man Released in Shooting Probe
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Arturo Gamboa, who was taken into custody after carrying a rifle at a "No Kings" protest in Utah last Saturday that ended in a fatal shooting, has been released as prosecutors continue to review evidence in the investigation. Newsweek has reached out to the Salt Lake Countydistrict attorney's office, police department, and Gamboa's lawyer for comment via email on Saturday. Why It Matters Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was shot during a "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City on June 14. He later died at the hospital, with his death marking the most serious incident among a series of coordinated demonstrations held in hundreds of cities last weekend to denounce President Donald Trump's leadership. The police have said that Ah Loo was an "innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire." An armed security member, who was part of the event's "peacekeeping team" fired three rounds after seeing Gamboa with his rifle. "One round struck Gamboa, while another tragically wounded Mr. Ah Loo," the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a June 15 update. What To Know On June 14, police estimate around 10,000 people participated in Salt Lake City's "No Kings" protest. Just before 8 p.m. local time, police reported hearing gunfire, and "panic spread throughout the area," police chief Brian Redd said in a June 15 press release. "Officers found a man who had been shot and immediately began life-saving efforts," the release said, but despite those efforts Ah Loo died at the hospital. He was a father of two, and a celebrity fashion designer. Paramedics transported Gamboa to the hospital and then "detectives later booked Gamboa into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a charge of murder." From interviews with two of the event's "peacekeeping" team members, detectives were told that Gamboa exhibited suspicious behavior which led them to draw their firearms. The "peacekeepers" reportedly told Gamboa to drop the weapon, but instead he "lifted the rifle and began running toward the crowd gathered on State Street, holding the weapon in a firing position," according to the police department's press release. One of the "peacekeepers" fired three rounds, with one striking Gamboa, and another hitting Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his gun. The district attorney's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Gamboa. Utah is a constitutional carry state, which allows adults who are legally allowed to obtain firearms can carry them in public. On Friday, "detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department's Homicide Squad presented their initial findings from the ongoing investigation," to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office for legal review, a Friday press release from the police department, which was sent to Newsweek, stated. "This process, known as a case screening, is a key step in any criminal investigation. It serves to analyze legal issues, identify investigative needs, and ensures the matter is prepared for prosecution evaluation, all while detectives continue to investigate," it continued. In Gamboa's release order, Judge James Blanch said he must live with his father and is barred from possessing firearms, limitations to last two months or if criminal charges are pressed against him. Nationwide, other cities experienced violence during last week's protests. In Portland, Oregon, officers deployed tear gas and flash grenades after demonstrators breached an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, injuring four police officers. In Culpeper, Virginia, a 21-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving his SUV into a dispersing crowd, striking at least one person. Arturo Gamboa is taken away in handcuffs on a gurney during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on June 14. Arturo Gamboa is taken away in handcuffs on a gurney during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on June 14. Scott G. Winterton/The Deseret News via AP) What People Are Saying Albert Gamboa, Arturo's father, told the Associated Press earlier this week his son is an "an innocent guy" who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time." Utah Governor Spencer Cox wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on June 14: "The shooting at tonight's protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square." Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said in a June 15 press release: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident." What Happens Next Police are asking the public to share any relevant information, stating: "If you captured any footage, particularly from the moments immediately before, during, or after the shooting, or if you have video of the shooting itself, or the person arrested, please share that evidence with us."
