Project Runway star is killed at anti-Trump 'No Kings' rally
When Gamboa ran towards a crowd with the rifle in a firing position, the peacekeeping team opened fire on him. Ah Loo was caught in the crossfire and shot. The fashion designer, who leaves behind a wife and two young children, later died at a local hospital , authorities said Sunday. Police took the alleged shooter into custody on Saturday evening on a murder charge. Detectives don't yet know why he pulled out a rifle.
Ah Loo, from Samoa, recently became an American citizen and voted for the first time during the 2024 election. He attended the No Kings march because he 'believed that everyone was deserving of basic human rights', Utah Rep. Verona Mauga told KSL-TV . Ah Loo, known as 'Afa', was a husband and father to two children and a fashion designer who leaned into his Samoan heritage, according to a GoFundMe page organized to support his family.
Ah Loo founded Creative Pacific, an event celebrating the diversity of the Pacific Islands, with workshops, artists and a fashion runway. He was on Season 17 of the fashion design reality TV show Project Runway. The peacekeeper, who was dressed in a neon green vest, fired three shots from a handgun at Gamboa, inflicting a relatively minor injury but fatally shooting Ah Loo.
Authorities did not share the man's name. Ah Loo, an innocent bystander participating in Saturday's march, was with a group of friends when the shots were fired into the crowd, Mauga told the TV station. The gunshots sent hundreds of protesters running, some hiding behind barriers and fleeing into parking garages and nearby businesses, police said in a statement.
'That's a gun. Come on, come on, get out,' someone can be heard saying in a video posted to social media that appears to show the events. The designer's friends realized 'something wrong may have happened' when they did not hear back from him after the chaos broke out, Mauga added. 'Afa is a person who believed in equity and equality for all people and all communities,' she said.
'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.' Police said the shooter and another person in a neon vest allegedly saw Gamboa separate from the crowd of marchers in downtown Salt Lake City, move behind a wall and withdraw a rifle around 8 p.m. Saturday.
When the two men in vests confronted Gamboa with their handguns drawn, witnesses said Gamboa raised his rifle into a firing position and ran toward the crowd, said Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd. That's when one of the men dressed in the vests shot three rounds, hitting Gamboa and Ah Loo. SWAT medics immediately performed life-saving care to the bystander before firefighters and paramedics stepped in.
The coroner will determine Ah Loo's official cause and manner of death. Gamboa, who police said didn't have a criminal history, was wounded and treated before being booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. He was seen in dramatic pictures and videos being arrested and taken away on a stretcher by police and paramedics. Officers also located a backpack belonging to Gamboa that contained an 'AR-15 style rifle' and gas mask, according to Redd. Redd added that the peacekeepers' actions are also part of the investigation.
Volunteer peacekeeping teams are common for protests, said Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for 50501 Movement, which was a partner in the No Kings protest. But the organizers ask attendees, including the peacekeepers, not to bring weapons, she said. Still, Parker said they stopped what could've been a larger mass casualty event. 'Our safety team did as best as they could in a situation that is extremely sad and extremely scary,' said Parker. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.
No Kings protests swept across the country on Saturday, and organizers said millions rallied against what they described as President Donald Trump's authoritarian tendencies. Confrontations were largely isolated. In Riverside, California, authorities said a driver of an SUV struck a woman who was participating in a demonstration and sped away. The woman had 'significant injuries' but was stable, police said, adding that they were still searching for the driver. Outside the Arizona statehouse, a social media video showed protesters Saturday jeering at and then skirmishing with a masked man, who eventually pulled out a handgun, causing the crowd to scatter. Another video showed Arizona Department of Public Safety officers taking the man into custody.
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The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
My husband killed my kids as revenge for leaving him, but they could have be saved – now I want my babies exhumed
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'We became friends but we didn't start seeing each other until five years later,' says Ellie, now 55. 'By then I was a single mum with a seven-month-old boy named after my dad and Ron had a son with his former wife.' The couple went on to have another boy named Aaron together and got married soon after. When David was six and Aaron was almost four, the couple welcomed their daughter Ashlee. 'All I'd ever wanted in life was to be a mum and I worked hard at being a good one,' Ellie says. 'The kids were my pride and joy. 'David was tall for his age with beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair. He was my little man. He was close to my dad who he called 'Gampa' and he liked fishing and country music. 'Meanwhile Aaron was my quiet one and had a beautiful smile and blue eyes too. 'He and David were best mates and they doted on their blue-eyed baby sister.' Behind closed doors While Ellie thrived off being a parent and loved family life, her relationship with Jonker deteriorated. 'He was verbally abusive and pushed and shoved me,' Ellie says. 'But worse than that he was completely disinterested in the kids and even cruel.' 8 8 Ellie claims there were several occasions when she had seen Jonker physically harm her boys and by the end of September 1998 she ended the relationship moving herself and the kids in with her dad. 'Ron was angry but I tried keeping things civil,' Ellie says. 'I told him he could have the kids over whenever he liked and that he was welcome over for dinner any time. 'I thought we'd work it out.' On Friday, October 2nd, Ron took the kids for the weekend. After a few days he called to ask if he could have the children for a few more days. 'I agreed hoping it was an attempt from him at being a better dad,' Ellie says. 'But when I popped in to see the children, Ron flew into a rage, grabbing me round the throat.' Custody battle begins A few days later Jonker called Ellie to tell he was going to file for full custody of the kids. 'I was distraught,' she admits. 'I loved my kids so much that if I genuinely thought Ron was the better parent, I'd have let him raise them, after all I had been raised by my dad. 'Ron refused to give the kids back and would be violent and abusive when I saw him.' On Monday October 19 1998, three weeks after the couple split, they had the custody hearing. The judge awarded Ellie custody, allowing Jonker two weekends out of three and he was ordered to return the children on October 23rd. 'When I saw Ron outside the court it was like looking at evil and I had a horrific premonition,' Ellie recalls. Killer instincts 'I told my lawyer I was sure he was going to kill our kids and begged her to do something but she said there was nothing she could do as there was no sign he was going to hurt them.' But Ellie was so concerned that she called the police. An officer was sent round to Jonker's home but they reported he was no threat to himself or his children. 'I called the child welfare authorities and begged them to take the kids out of his care,' Ellie recalls. 'I gave them permission to put my kids in the system as long as they were away from him but nobody listened.' On 21st October, Jonker allowed the children to call Ellie and she spoke to Aaron and David briefly. 'They seemed fine and Ron indicated he was bringing them kids back so I was excited,' she says. At around 6.20pm Jonker called and spoke to Ellie's dad David and instructed him to go to the bottom of the drive. 'I assumed he was handing the kids to dad and didn't want to see me,' Ellie says. But David snr only returned with a letter from Jonker. It read: 'I did warn you that if you won in court, you would lose. Murder threats made 'Unless some divine miracle happens the next time you see my kids will be to make a positive ID at the Coroner's Office.' Ellie admits she was 'hysterical' but was able to call the police who arrived 15 minutes later. They consulted with a superior then instructed Ellie to ring Jonker to find out where he was and arrange a meeting. 'After repeated calls, I got through,' Ellie says. 'I told him he could have full custody as long as he didn't hurt the children. 'He agreed to meet me at 8.30pm at a place called Gingin but warned me to come alone.' It was just before 7pm and Gingin was 80 minutes away. 'The cops told me it was too dangerous for me to go and insisted on accompanying me,' Ellie says. 'At 8.20pm he rang and dad answered who stalled him by telling him I was on the way. 'He rang again 20 minutes later, he heard the boys in the background and they were crying 'Gampa help us'.' As the police approached, Jonker caught sight of them and drove off. They followed the car but had to abandon it when Jonker hit 170km. 'He called me afterwards and told me he'd warned me about the police,' Ellie says. 'He said he thought he'd lost them and said 'you've done your dash' then hung up. Where to seek grief support Need professional help with grief? Child Bereavement UK Cruse Bereavement Relate The Good Grief Trust You can also always speak to your GP if you're struggling. You're Not Alone Check out these books, podcasts and apps that all expertly navigate grief… Griefcast: Cariad Lloyd interviews comedians on this award-winning podcast. The Madness Of Grief by Rev Richard Coles (£9.99, W&N): The Strictly fave writes movingly on losing his husband David to alcoholism. Terrible, Thanks For Asking: Podcast host Nora McInerny encourages non-celebs to share how they're really feeling. Good Mourning by Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn (£14.99, Murdoch Books): A guide for people who've suffered sudden loss, like the authors who both lost their mums. Grief Works: Download this for daily meditations and expert tips. How To Grieve Like A Champ by Lianna Champ (£3.99, Red Door Press): A book for improving your relationship with death. 'I knew he meant it was all over now and sobbed, hoping the police would find him again.' But there was no trace of Jonker, 33, and the children until the car was spotted on a quiet bush track by an air force plane the following day. 'A woman officer broke the news to me that Ron and the kids were inside, all dead,' Ellie says. 'I can remember someone putting their arms around me and then being sedated.' Jonker had killed himself and the children with exhaust fumes. Ashlee, 17 months, was in his arms. 'A police friend of dad's advised me not to ID or view the children,' Ellie says. 'I didn't want to go to the funeral, it meant it was real. But of course, I did go. 'When I saw the little white coffins, I almost passed out.' The three children were buried together, with Ashlee dressed in her favourite pair of bunny ears. 'I'd lived for my kids and now I didn't want to live anymore,' Ellie says. 'The only reason I am still here is because otherwise Ron would win. 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The Guardian
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The quid pro quo that would be of great concern to the [tech] sector is anything that reduces their reputation for privacy and security,' Powles said. 'That's thinking of government like a transactional operator, not like an institution with rules about when, how and for what it can extract taxes, levies and subsidies.' But that seems to be how the White House runs now. When explaining to the press how he made the deal, Trump said he told Huang: 'I want 20% if I'm going to approve this for you'. 'For the country, for our country. I don't want it myself,' the president added. 'And he said, 'Would you make it 15?' So we negotiated a little deal.'
