Latest news with #SimGill
The Guardian
21-06-2025
- The Guardian
Suspect in ‘No Kings' rally shooting death in Utah released from jail
A man jailed on suspicion of murder for allegedly brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings' rally in Utah before an armed safety volunteer fired and inadvertently killed a protester has been released from custody. Local district attorney Sim Gill's office said on Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa after the 14 June shooting that killed demonstrator Arthur Folasa Ah Loo – but that the investigation into the slaying continues. 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 Ah Loo nearby. 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 since the shooting 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 work 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 dissociating itself from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest. The demonstration involving about 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide against Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the US army's 250th anniversary and coincided with the president's birthday.
Al Arabiya
21-06-2025
- Al Arabiya
Man Arrested After Utah 'No Kings' Rally Shooting Is Released as Investigation Continues
A man accused of brandishing a rifle at 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, 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 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. 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 against President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Teen accused of fatal West Valley City shooting charged as an adult
The Salt Lake County District Attorney building in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The 16-year-old accused of shooting and killing three people — including a pregnant woman and an infant — at a West Valley City carnival over the weekend is being charged as an adult. Prosecutors charged Matthiaz Cantre Lauti Ioane-Register with four counts of aggravated murder and nine counts of felony discharge of a firearm in Salt Lake County's 3rd District Court, according to court documents unveiled on Friday. Police say Ioane-Register was at West Valley City's WestFest on Sunday when he opened fire in a crowded area, killing an 18-year-old who was believed to be the intended target, as well as a 41-year-old woman and an 8-month-old baby. The baby was killed in a stroller alongside their twin sibling, prosecutors say. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The 41-year-old woman was eight weeks pregnant, according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. Ioane-Register is also being charged with the murder of her unborn child. Two other teenagers — a 15-year-old and 17-year-old —- were injured after sustaining gunshot wounds to their arms, Gill said. Per federal law, children charged as adults cannot face the death penalty or be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Ioane-Register is currently being held in jail without bail. Gill also confirmed an ongoing investigation into whether responding officers fired their weapons. On Sunday, a West Valley City Police Department spokesperson said one of the officers fired a single round toward the suspect, but didn't hit him or any of the victims. 'Anytime a law enforcement officer uses any lethal force we have a task force that is involved to do that investigation,' Gill said. 'That did happen and that's a separate, unconnected investigation that is pending.' Gill told reporters that the shooting is likely gang-related. Ioane-Register, believed to be a member of the gang Titanic Crips Society, was seen on surveillance footage confronting a group of people at the carnival who Gill said were likely part of a rival gang. Moments later, Ioane-Register opened fire, using a handgun that prosecutors say was reported stolen in Louisiana. 8-month-old baby among 3 dead from shooting at West Valley City carnival Officers recovered 12 shell casings from the area, according to court documents. They believe Ioane-Register fired the handgun in the crowded area until the magazine was empty. The 16-year-old then quickly turned to flee but was apprehended by police. Gill described the aftermath of the shooting as tense, as people gathered around a detained Ioane-Register, yelling at him and screaming 'F— TCS,' the acronym for the gang. Police then moved Ioane-Register to a more secluded area, according to the charges, where he denied shooting anyone other than his intended target, for whom he appeared to show little remorse. 'I'm gonna tell you guys right now, I know what I hit because I know where I was aiming, and I know where I was shooting. I did not hit no baby (sic). It was only one person I hit,' he told officers, according to court documents. 'He was already over there on the ground, and I been hitting him. That was the only person I went for. No other bullets went flying elsewhere. There was only one direction. So, there is no way I hit that baby.' But later, when he was interviewed by detectives, Ioane-Register changed his story, telling them he didn't know the 18-year-old intended victim, didn't have a firearm and spent the evening 'at WestFest with some homies, just chilling,' according to prosecutors. When officers told him the 18-year-old was killed, he 'laughed and smiled,' court documents read, telling officers he 'just liked to laugh about things that are funny.' Gill said on Friday that while violent crime in Salt Lake County isn't necessarily increasing, he's noticing more intense crimes involving younger suspects. Historically, most homicide suspects in Utah are between the ages of 19 to 28 years old. But according to a recent report from the University of Utah School of Social Work, Gill said that range is now 10 to 19 years old. 'We are becoming more organized, we are becoming more sophisticated as well as the proliferation and access of stolen guns in younger and younger ages is causing this kind of stuff,' he said. Gill called for more resources to curb what he described as a growing problem. 'Instead of fighting with hands or other things, the easy access to guns is driving these numbers. And that's something we should pay attention to,' he said. 'I think we have about four to six years to invest in the infrastructure so we can stay on top of it.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DA requests more time to review deadly ‘No Kings' Salt Lake City rally
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office was granted more time Thursday to determine what charges, if any, should be filed against the man arrested during Saturday's deadly 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City. 'Today, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office requested and was granted by a 3rd District Court judge an extension for the detention of Arturo Gamboa at the Salt Lake County Jail. A three-day extension was requested because the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has not yet received a formal screening of the evidence associated with the charge of murder, for which Mr. Gamboa was booked,' Sim Gill's office announced Thursday. Although police say he was armed with a rifle, Gamboa did not fire a shot during a confrontation with rally volunteers, one of whom fired three rounds from his own handgun and injured Gamboa, 24, but also killed an innocent bystander, 39-year-old Arthur Folasa 'Afa' Ah Loo. The incident happened just before 8 p.m. Saturday, as an estimated 10,000 people were marching on State Street. Two men who police say described themselves as part of the 'peacekeeping' group for the rally spotted Gamboa near 151 S. State. One of the men says he watched Gamboa move away from the main crowd to a secluded area behind a wall. 'The peacekeepers found this behavior to be suspicious and kept Arturo in view. One of the peacekeepers observed Arturo remove an AR-15 style rifle from a backpack he was carrying. He observed Arturo begin to manipulate the rifle, and they called out to him to drop the gun after drawing their own firearms. Arturo then lifted the rifle, and according to witnesses he began to run toward the large crowd gathered on State Street holding the rifle in a firing position,' a police booking affidavit states. After Gamboa was treated for a gunshot wound to the stomach, he was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder. Under state law, once a person is booked into jail, prosecutors have 'by 3 p.m. on the fourth calendar day after the defendant was booked' to file formal charges, as long as the fourth day isn't a weekend or holiday. If charges are not filed by then, prosecutors can request a person be held in jail for another three days while they screen potential charges. In asking for an extension to hold Gamboa, prosecutors noted that police are still interviewing witnesses and 'involved parties,' as well as going through 'voluminous amounts of surveillance and amateur footage of the incident. This extension will allow the police to present their evidence at a formal screening scheduled for this Friday and allow the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office sufficient time to review, analyze, and make an informed decision to any allegations of criminal wrongdoing,' Gill said Thursday, 'I ask for everyone's patience. When a person loses their life, we are all impacted as a community. It is critical that we are thorough, accurate, and faithful to the truth. Arthur Afa Ah Loo's family and our community of citizens deserve no less,' he said. The so-called 'peacekeeper' who fired the shots that killed Ah Loo and injured Gamboa was not arrested. However, police say the investigation into the man — whom event organizers say has military experience — has been continuing, and the district attorney, while screening for potential charges against Gamboa, will also determine if criminal charges are warranted against the 'peacekeeper.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers left sexual assault programs out of the budget, forcing service providers to fundraise
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill speaks to reporters about Sexual Assault Awareness Month at his office in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch) Utah has rates of sexual violence that often trump the national average — according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, 1 in 3 Utah women will experience sexual violence, compared to 1 in 5 women nationally. Yet this year, the state's service providers are forced to fundraise and solicit federal money, which is increasingly short supply, after lawmakers snubbed the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault's request for funding that would have gone to the state's rape crisis programs. According to the request, the money was intended to provide 'meaningful sexual prevention work,' like education and training. 'Prevention education works. It can change the way individuals think. It can change the way communities interact. It changes relationships. It is the least funded source of service for victims in the state of Utah,' said Gary Scheller, associate director of the Rape Recovery Center. The coalition asked lawmakers for almost $3.3 million — the Legislature's Social Services Appropriations Committee recommended just over $1.6 million. But ultimately, funding for the coalition was not included in the final budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Now, with April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Scheller's nonprofit, which provides advocacy for victims, clinical therapy, education and training, will be forced to fundraise and look to the federal government to fill the void. Lawmakers said it was a tight budget year, and a number of programs never received funding. Still, some of the programs funded by the state's nearly $30 billion budget include $40 million in annual funds for the Utah Fits All Scholarship voucher program, $20 million in one-time funding for the state's first-time home buyer program, and dozens of other programs and allocations that cost far more than what the Coalition Against Sexual Assault was asking for. 'What I would like to say really loudly to our state Legislature is, what you fund reflects your priorities,' Scheller said on Thursday during an event at the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 'So when we see millions going here and millions going there and this being cut and that being cut, that is equivalent to the state Legislature saying, these are our priorities, these not so much.' The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition is in a similar boat, after their request for $200,000 in annual funds was also left out of the state's budget. The money would have allowed police departments around the state to continue to administer a critical health care service for victims of domestic violence while bolstering investigations. Legislature snubs funding for domestic violence health care service, forcing nonprofit to fundraise Scheller said the lack of state funds will have a 'significant' impact to the Rape Recovery Center. The center, and other sexual assault support programs, have been sharing a $600,000 allocation from the state spread out over three years — for the Rape Recovery Center, that's about $15,000 to $20,000 each year, according to Scheller. Now that the Legislature snubbed their request this year, Scheller said education and prevention programs, which are already underfunded, will continue to be spread thin. 'These prevention and education programs, with state school board approved curriculum, where we can get into schools and talk to students about consent and healthy relationships — those will be greatly minimized. So now we're going to go looking for other ways to continue to do that,' Scheller said. Sex crimes continue to be an issue in Utah. According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, 88 out of 100 women who are sexually assaulted in Utah will choose not to come forward. Of the 12 that do report the crime, six will likely be re-victimized 'though the way that we respond to them,' Gill said. 'Because we're not trauma informed, because we're not victim centered.' Data from Gill's office shows the extent of sexual violence in the county, which fluctuates year to year. The office filed 81 rape charges in 2023, compared to 89 in 2024; 51 object rape charges in 2023, compared to 54 in 2024; 22 rape of a child charges in 2023, compared to 10 in 2024; 104 sex battery charges in 2024, compared to 72 in 2024; 100 lewdness charges in 2023, compared to 90 in 2024; 35 sodomy of a child charges in 2023, compared to 26 in 2024; and 20 aggravated sexual assault charges in 2023, compared to 15 in 2024. 'I hope this encourages our policymakers to know that they need to fully fund our institutional partners and our community partners,' Gill said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
