Project Runway star shot dead while attending anti-Trump rally
A Project Runway celebrity has tragically lost his life at an anti-Trump demonstration in Utah.
Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was fatally wounded amidst chaos after another protester took out a rifle at Saturday's No Kings Rally in Salt Lake City.
Accidental gunfire from official peacekeepers at the demonstration struck him following a tense confrontation with a fellow protester, 24 year old Arturo Gamboa, who is alleged to have brandished his gun at attendees. When prompted to surrender the firearm, Gamboa charged into the crowd, prompting the security team to discharge their weapons.
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Amidst this calamity, Ah Loo became a victim.
The subsequent day, it was confirmed by officials that the fashion designer, also a father of two young children, sustained injuries that led to his death at hospital, reports the Mirror.
Suspected shooter Gamboa was apprehended by law enforcement on the evening of the incident facing accusations of murder, despite the absence of clarity regarding his intentions.
The Samoan native, Ah Loo, had recently embraced American citizenship and cast his vote for the first time in the 2024 election.
Utah Representative Verona Mauga, speaking to KSL TV, recounted her time with Ah Loo earlier that night at the rally, saying: "Afa is a person who believed in equity and equality for all people and all communities. He believed that everyone was deserving of basic human rights. And that's why he was there. He was with his community and he was with people he cared about, marching and rallying for all of those things that make our community, like, really great."
Mauga elaborated that she wasn't with him during the shooting; he was out with mates when shots rang out. She confided that after not hearing from him, they surmised "something wrong may have happened".
Ah Loo, a contestant on Project Runway in 2019, had a passion for crafting garments for loved ones. He also co-created the Creative Pacific Foundation and imparted sewing skills through workshops.
In homage, Mauga remarked: "He brought joy and laughter to the community, and he shared his art and his talents so freely with people."
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